This is a busy time of year for me. I just installed thirty arboretum paintings at the Lake Oswego Library’s Gallery and am finalizing edits of Rightfully Mine: the Water Factor to be published later this year. The paintings will be on display throughout April, so stop by to see them if you are in Oregon. 

With jonquils and hyacinths pushing through the earth, and chrysanthemums blooming in my yard, I have renewed energy and am ready for action. Some things are constant reminders of spring, like grabbing a light jacket from its peg by the back door and being reminded of the poem I recited as a child.

Spring has sprung  the grass is riz I wonder where my jacket is.

The words pop into my mind as soon as the first flowers push through the ground. When I looked into who wrote the verse, I came up with a big zero. Though often attributed to Ogden Nash or ee cummings, the poem has roots that go back to an anonymous author centuries before.

Spring is sprung, the grass is riz, I wonders where the birdies is. They say the birds is on the wing. Ain’t that absurd? I always thought the wing was on the bird.

And then there is my favorite adaptation in Arnold Silcock’s Verse and Worse.

The Budding Bronx 

Der spring is sprung  Der grass is riz I wonder where dem boidies is?  Der little boids is on der wing,  Ain’t dat absoid?  Der little wings is on de boid!

And then – attributed to Ogden Nash, though I can’t find proof.

Spring has newly sprung the hills are full of grass and along comes a billy-goat sliding on his overcoat down the summer pass. 

Whatever the words, the poems carry the joy, beauty, and energy of the season, a time of rebirth. Spring is a gift that propels me to begin anew and focus on ways to realize my dreams. As Passover, Easter, and May Day pass I am reminded that much of life is cyclical. But after participating in the festivities, I see that the celebrations are not identical to the one I went to the previous year. Though the earth circled the son to complete its cycle, I’m not the same either. All I have to do is look in the mirror to find a few more wrinkles and gray hairs.

The universe that surrounds us is so vast, it is easy to forget that it is in a constant state of transition. Why should we be any different? Within the universe is our solar system, beginning 4.6 billion years ago as a collapsing cloud of gas and dust. It took 600 million years for the sun and the planets to form. And even longer for the oceans on earth to be created by the impact of comets rich in water ice. Microscope bacteria evolved into plants and animals to form our present environment. The oldest known fossils are only from 3.8 million years ago. 

As human brains evolved, sapiens focused on survival and immediate pleasures, not thinking about the universe and all its creatures are in a constant state of transition. The earth travelling around the sun each year brings changes with each revolution. A NASA study published in March 2021 found that Earth’s axis has been shifting drastically since 1995, speeding the movement of the poles and changing its direction. The reason behind the shift is melting glaciers, a contributor to climate change.

Since the earth will be here long after I’m gone, I can only hope that wise land stewards will take the helm from those who remain with their heads in the sand or are only motivated by instant gratification. Pollution, population growth, and a warming planet are long-range issues that must be taken seriously if our great-grandchildren are to enjoy the boidies and see that the grass is riz each spring. 

Your thoughts? please respond on my blog at eichingerfineart.com/blog

___________________________

April Art show of 30 paintings at Lake Oswego Library’s gallery. in Oregon. 706 4th avenue
Lake Osweho 97034

Art is always for sale. Canvas prints of the paintings are available for $99, shipping included. Purchase through web sited or contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com

Resources:

NASA Website. Planets Grow and Change OVer time. https://www.nasa.gov/sites/default/files/files/YOSS_Act_14.pdf

POEM– sources for “pring has sprung”

P

__________

Your thoughts? please respond below. Your comments are always welcome.
Art is always for sale. Contact me at marilynne@eichingerfineart.com