Two nights ago, I took this picture of the sun setting over the fields behind my wood near the village of Charing in Kent. Nearly Spring - and it reminded me of a poem that I'd enjoyed by American Poet Emily Dickinson.
She imagines the streaks of coloured clouds as having been rendered by a kind of housewife-goddess-faery, sweeping the skies with her besom broom.
'Spring is nearly here' the evening said - 'watch me, then look at the stars, but tomorrow, make ready!.'
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| A Margaret Tarrant illustration from 'Joan in Flowerland' 1935 |
'Spring Cleaning' - by Margaret Tempest
from 'Wise Owl's Story' by Alison Uttley. First pub 1935
from 'Wise Owl's Story' by Alison Uttley. First pub 1935
And this hedgerow fae has started to do her best - honestly she has. There's so much to do - fallen branches to be cleared, tattered cobwebs to be dusted away - the spiders never seem to do it themselves! There's moss needing plumping up, clutter to take from the stream, buds to be polished and on and on it goes .......
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| This fairy drawing is from 'Tree Fairies' by Patricia Robins The birch besom broom is mine - I MADE it myself at a craft day with AJS Rural Crafts (link here) and I am very proud of it!  From 'Joan in Flowerland' by Margaret Tarrant pub. Frederick Warne 1935 |
She Sweeps with Many-Coloured Brooms
She sweeps with many-coloured brooms,
And leaves the shreds behind;
Oh, housewife in the evening west,
Come back, and dust the pond!
You dropped a purple ravelling in
You dropped an amber thread;
And now you've littered all the East
With duds of emerald!
And still she plies her spotted brooms,
And still the aprons fly,
Till brooms fade softly into stars
And then I come away.
Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson
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| Wonderful illustration of spring cleaning the magical debris that can accumulate in a house in the winter months! By Norwegian artist Louis Moe c1900 |
