Loveliest of trees, the cherry now
Is hung with bloom along the bough,
And stands about the woodland ride
Wearing white for Eastertide.
Now, of my threescore years and ten,
Twenty will not come again,
And take from seventy springs a score,
It only leaves me fifty more.
And since to look at things in bloom
Fifty springs are little room,
About the woodlands I will go
To see the cherry hung with snow.
***
I’ve signed on to participate in the Blogging from A to Z Challenge this month, and this is Day A: April.
Content was never in question: I post A. E. Housman’s “Loveliest of Trees” nearly every year at bluebonnet time as a reminder to seize the day, to get out and see beauty while it’s here–while we’re here.
Be sure to read–or at least scroll–to the bottom of the page. There’s an unexpected treat–not just a bunch of blue flowers.
Here’s a link to the A to Z Challenge Master List–-links to the nearly 700 blogs taking part in the challenge.
A short analysis of “Loveliest of Trees” appears at Interesting Literature.
Info about 2018 bluebonnet sightings can be found at the Texas Wildflower Report on Facebook.
Paintings by Julian Onderdonk. http://texaspaintings.com/JulianOnderdonk.htm
… by Robert Wood. http://radstudies.tumblr.com/post/146477004552/robert-william-wood-american-1889-1979-texas
… by Porfirio Salinas. https://www.bing.com/images/search?q=Porfirio+Salinas+Bluebonnet+Paintings&id=61B8119D2E9E1BC63C9D221D5774776F07B2D13B&FORM=IDBQDM
And…
*****
To see what other bloggers wrote about on Day A, click A2Z.
M. K. Waller 
Here we are witness to festoons of purple Wisteria climbing the trees and spreading their perfume and beauty. I always have to wonder if they are strangling the trees while they do.
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I love Wisteria. It grows wild around here–I collected some from a pasture for a plant collection about a thousand years ago–but I don’t see it often. I’ve read it can strangle trees. A delicate balance, I guess.
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Still nothing prettier than a field of Texas Bluebonnets! Thanks bunches. I’m sure I shall enjoy each of the A-Z’s, too. Aunt Barbara
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We’re a couple of bluebonnet-crazed Texans, huh? I hope I make it through the A-Z’s. Thanks for reading.
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And the clip brings good melody and a good touch with the images!!!
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The clip was a bit of luck. I couldn’t find the still images I wanted, but Youtube came through nicely. Thanks for reading and commenting.
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You’re very ambitious to take this on! I really do want to plant a weeping cherry to replace the one that died right after moving in here. Thanks for reminding me.
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+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++`(signed, Ernest the Cat with head on keypad). Ambitious, dumb, crazy… If I blog, I don’t have to deal with Molly. She and I have met up again, and we’re both as unyielding as ever. I looked up the weeping cherry tree. They’re gorgeous. Did you know they can stop weeping? There’s info on how to make them weep again, but in a way that sounds abusive.
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I know they can die easily! The tree is one tree grafted onto another one, so they’re delicate. You may consider that bringing them into existence is abusive. But IF I plant one and if it stops weeping, I’ll remember to look it up!
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