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May 5 - 19

In this episode, Alexis and Kit explore the warm beginnings of summer through an array of early summer delights including irises, clouds, and festivals.

Listen and subscribe on Stitcher, Apple, and Spotify.

Listen and subscribe on Apple and Spotify.

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The Beginning of Summer
Spotify Companion Playlist

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Poems Featured in this Episode

May by Thomas Hood (1799-1845)

Tis like the birthday of the world,
When earth was born in bloom;
The light is made of many dyes,
The air is all perfume:
There's crimson buds, and white and blue,
The very rainbow showers
Have turned to blossoms where they fell,
And sown the earth with flowers.

*

Young Lambs by John Clare

The spring is coming by a many signs;
The trays are up, the hedges broken down,
That fenced the haystack, and the remnant shines
Like some old antique fragment weathered brown.
And where suns peep, in every sheltered place,
The little early buttercups unfold
A glittering star or two--till many trace
The edges of the blackthorn clumps in gold.
And then a little lamb bolts up behind
The hill and wags his tail to meet the yoe,
And then another, sheltered from the wind,
Lies all his length as dead--and lets me go
Close bye and never stirs but baking lies,
With legs stretched out as though he could not rise

*

The Hen by Lord Alfred Douglas

The hen is a ferocious fowl,
She pecks you till she makes you howl.
And all the time she flaps her wings,
And says the most insulting things.
And when you try to take her eggs,
She bites large pieces from your legs.
The only safe way to get these,
Is to creep on your hands and knees.
In the meanwhile a friend must hide,
And jump out on the other side.
And then you snatch the eggs and run,
While she pursues the other one.
The difficulty is, to find
A trusty friend who will not mind.

*

The Month of May by Thomas Dekker

I saw a hundred of shades of green today
And everything that man made was outclassed
The month of May, the merry month of May
Now hello pink and white and farewell grey
My spirits are no longer overcast
The winter is over and its time to play.

*

Rabbit-ear iris
it gives me an idea
for a poem

— Basho

*

Irises
where the rainbow
starts from

— Basho

*

The cuckoo
singing about five feet
of iris leaves

— Issa

*

Mountains are
yellow green, pale yellow-
a cuckoo cries

— Shiki

*

It seems to me as if
A little cuckoo could have come flying
To aim at deutzia flowers

— Shiki

*

Dawn--
from atop the wheat
"cuckoo!"

— Issa

*

The cuckoo
singing, flying, singing,
ever busy

— Basho

*

Night Clouds by Amy Lowell

The white mares of the moon rush along the sky
Beating their golden hoofs upon the glass Heavens;
The white mares of the moon are all standing on their hind legs
Pawing at the green porcelain doors of the remote Heavens.
Fly, Mares!Strain your utmost,Scatter the milky dust of stars,
Or the tiger sun will leap upon you and destroy you
With one lick of his vermilion tongue.

*

Kites by Alice Thorn Frost

Up and Up, then down and down,
On a breezy day,
Jolly kites in colors fine
Proudly sail away.
Each is held, how wonderful!
By a slender string.
Children’s laughter, darting kites,
Make a day of spring.

*

Carp streamers are higher than the roof
The biggest carp is the father
The small carp are children
Enjoying swimming in the sky

Japanese folk song “Koinobori”

*

Both sword and satchel
display them in May -
paper streamers

— Basho

*

Best friends forever mom and me
Picking flowers and climbing trees.
A shoulder to cry on secrets to share
Warm hearts and hands that really care.

— Anonymous

*

Rhubarb Pie — Anonymous

If rhubarb pie
You've never eaten
Give it a try
It can't be beaten
I know what you're thinking
Oh how can this be
Rhubarb's reminiscent
Of red celery
How can something
This stringy
Become a great pie
There's a sweet little secret
Of that I won't lie
It takes lots of sugar
A half plus a cup
And a third cup of flour
To thicken things up
An eighth teaspoon of salt
And the Rhubarb you add
Four cups peeled and chopped
Won't turn out too bad
Mix it all up
And pour in a pie pan
Lined with a crust
You mixed up by hand
Dot it with butter
Or margarine is ok
Two tablespoons should do
At least that's what they say
Put on a top crust
Flute the edges up high
And cut in some vents
So the top doesn't fly
Sprinkle with sugar
And put in to bake
At 425 Three-fourths hour
Should take
When it is done
Place on rack for to cool
Don't eat it too soon
Or you'll get burned you fool
When it's just warm
Then open the fridge
With vanilla ice cream
You'll want more than a smidge
With milk in a glass
Or coffee in cup
You might soon discover
That you've eaten it up
Then go tell your friends
That you've found a new gem
And maybe next time
You'll save some for them!

Music Featured in this Podcast

“Venit tempus“ Words by A.A. Sanborn, Performed by Ruth Cunningham

Venit tempus vernum plena flores, et caritas Dei, et mirantibus tactu frigus.
Springtime comes, full of flowers and God's love, with a touch of cold wonder. 

“Longing for Spring / Komm, Lieber Mai“ W.A. Mozart, Performed by Madelyn Wanner Salazar

Koinobori, Performed by Chris Whittaker

Symphony no. 6 in f major 'pastoral', op. 68 - i. allegro non troppo by Ludwig Van Beethoven, via MusOpen

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