Call of the Spring

Published on by Laura Bloomsbury 
Just when snowdrops
are raising their bright lantern heads
over the tombs of the Victorian dead*

the corvid clans are gathering.
Westerlies fingering wings, crow black, 
assembly of rooks and jacks*

atop the churchyard's plane trees.
Revamping unkempt nests, they mingle
in raucous verse and hymnal

as the morning parishioners arrive.
I come in praise of the madding couples
and seeing their obsidian huddles

their ritual rites of return, give thanks. 
These congregants are first to the vernal switch
as natural as the massed graves over which 

their broods will feed and fledge. or die.
Ever hopeful of the Spring breakthrough
I look to where rookeries will renew.
  • a Victorian custom to plant snowdrops on graves after the Crimean war when soldiers returned with bulbs from the shores of the Black Sea. The flowers have since colonised our churchyards
  • aka Daws, jackdaws, smaller corvids that often nest within or alongside rookeries.

For Kim’s Poetics prompt: The Optician’s Words she has given us a selection of lines from the eye test list to choose from and include in our poem as here with crow – verse – see – renew

40 thoughts on “Call of the Spring”

  2. A stunning call of the spring, Laura, and I love how you used the optician’s words. I had an image in my head of a snowdrop-covered graveyard, which reminded me to walk up to our village church, and the gathering of the corvid clans – Sarah would have loved that.

  3. I love the hopeful note at the end, Laura, even as the “congregant” crows in their “obsidian huddle” (striking image!) perform their “rites of return.” Stunning imagery throughout.

  4. “snowdrops
    are raising their bright lantern heads
    over the tombs of the Victorian dead”

    This really sets the tone of the poem, all about renewal.

  5. I was just reading a mystery with snowdrops in the churchyard. Now I know their origin.

    I like the use of black as an anchor and contrast to the transforming landscape. (K)

    1. great point – as with paintings, black is an anchor for the colours

      certainly it was a customer for soldiers of the Crimea and spread literally far and wide coupled with specialist hybrid breedings so much so that in the UK we have Snowdrop festivals rather like the Japanese Sakura

  7. You paint a picture of a church, surrounded by life and death. Beautiful.

  9. I love your use of words Laura, makes for an expansive and rich poem, evocative and provocative images.

  11. Laura, you took those words and ran with them. I appreciate learning about the snowdrop colonies in English churchyards.

  15. Such a beautiful call of spring. I haven’ seen any snowdrops here yet. I didn’t know of their origin in the UK from the Crimean War. But there’s so much symbolism in Victorian graveyards and mourning customs. I love the gathering of corvids. We have mainly crows here.

    1. they were like the poppies of Flanders. Corvids definitely are the hope givers being one of the earliest nesters – or at least they revisit and make their claims in the rookeries

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