lupine and paintbrush, photos at Donner Summit by the Poet ‘Remnants of the Spring’: A Poem by James A. Tweedie The Society October 5, 2024 Beauty, Poetry 16 Comments . Remnants of the Spring Lupine, Paintbrush, remnants of the spring Color summer’s browning meadows, splashing Renoir dots and drabbles along freshing Snow-fed streams whose whispered burbles sing Odes to joy beneath blue silent skies Stretching to eternity; Sierra Granite mountains, lakes and forests where a Zephyred evening sunset breeze breathes sighs Through needled pines, and daylight bids goodbye As Lupine’s Paintbrush paints the western sky. . . James A. Tweedie is a retired pastor living in Long Beach, Washington. He has written and published six novels, one collection of short stories, and four collections of poetry including Sidekicks, Mostly Sonnets, and Laughing Matters, all with Dunecrest Press. His poems have been published nationally and internationally in both print and online media. He was honored with being chosen as the winner of the 2021 SCP International Poetry Competition. NOTE TO READERS: If you enjoyed this poem or other content, please consider making a donation to the Society of Classical Poets. The Society of Classical Poets does not endorse any views expressed in individual poems or commentary. Share this:Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)Click to print (Opens in new window)Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)Click to share on WhatsApp (Opens in new window)Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window)Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)Trending now: 16 Responses Paul A. Freeman October 5, 2024 ‘Zephyred evening sunset breeze breathes sighs / Through needled pines…’ What an image! Thanks for the read, James. Reply James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Thank you, Paul. You cited my own favorite phrase (along with “Renoir dots and drabbles)! Reply Jeremiah Johnson October 5, 2024 Thanks for that “Ode to Joy” – love how your poem just unrolls the carpet of nature’s beauty – truly something worthy of praise and of praising its Maker! Reply James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Jeremiah, I hope “…unrolls the carpet of nature’s beauty” finds its way into one your of own poems, someday. It is a lovely phrase in its own right. Thanks for your uplifting comment. Reply Joseph S. Salemi October 5, 2024 This is a small tour de force — completely enjambed, and one sentence (with a semicolon break midway through). There are only four rhymes: the A, B, C. and D ones of spring, skies, Sierra, and goodbye. One might even argue that there is no D rhyme, since the only difference between “skies” and “goodbye” is the pluralizing /s/. And the rhyme of “Sierra” with “where a” is inspired. There’s also an unrestrained use of brilliant and evocative diction — a faux pas in modernist crap, but a delight in traditional poetry. “Renoir dots and drabbles” took me by surprise, and that is what polished, sophisticated diction should always try to accomplish. Reply James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Thank you for the affirmation. It is one of those poems that seemed to write itself, my having seen and experienced it all so recently this past August. Reply Jeff Eardley October 5, 2024 Jim, this is quite wonderful, “Renoir dots and drabbles along freshing snow-fed streams whose whispered burbles sing” is an absolute gob-smacker of a line. There has got to be a song in this. A most enjoyable read. Thank you. Reply James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Jeff, if anyone could turn words into music it would be you! Thanks for suggesting that my words sing—or maybe hum… Reply James Sale October 6, 2024 I agree with the praise heaped on this poem; it is a tour-de-force. More often than not when you have a really striking poem, the ‘strike’ comes down to the handling of the syntax, which lesser poets can’t do, which is why their work sounds derivative. But here the flow ‘seems’ effortless – nicely facilitated by the enjambement as Joe points out. And as James himself observes, it seemed to ‘write itself’, suggesting a Kubla Khan type of induced state: ah! The Muse comes! What next for the Tweedie? Obviously – opium! Reply James A. Tweedie October 6, 2024 Lol, James. Unlike Coleridge, I remembered my entire poem when I woke up. And in any case, if I had my druthers, rather than opium, I think I would find more inspiration from osuzanna, or osolomio. PS. Thanks for the thumbs up. Reply Cheryl Corey October 6, 2024 “dots and drabbles” (I had to look up “drabble”) well describe Renoir’s plein-air Impressionist style of painting; and the poem comes across as plein-air inspired. Reply James A. Tweedie October 7, 2024 Yes indeed. Definitely a plein-air poem! Nice. Reply Adam Sedia October 6, 2024 This was absolutely beautiful – the image-rich, tightened short poem that I like. I echo Dr Salemi’s comments about your rhyme and diction. I also like how you repeat your opening phrase in the closing line, providing a sense of closure, of a journey of thought completed. Great work. Reply James A. Tweedie October 7, 2024 Thank you, Adam. I hope all is well with you and yours. Reply C.B. Anderson October 10, 2024 You know you are good, James, and you don’t seem surprised when others tell you you are. Whatever muse by whom you are underwritten may retire with full honors, but I have a feeling that the two of you aren’t done yet. Direct & Subtle is the name of the law firm in which you two are founding partners. Reply James A. Tweedie October 11, 2024 C.B. Let’s just say that when I am good, I am usually aware of it and when I am not, no amount of compliments or praise will convince me otherwise. In any case, I redirect all positive comments to my muse, who, lately, seems to be going off on extended vacations more often than in the past. Reply Leave a Reply Cancel ReplyYour email address will not be published.CommentName* Email* Website Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Notify me of new posts by email. Δ This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.
Paul A. Freeman October 5, 2024 ‘Zephyred evening sunset breeze breathes sighs / Through needled pines…’ What an image! Thanks for the read, James. Reply
James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Thank you, Paul. You cited my own favorite phrase (along with “Renoir dots and drabbles)! Reply
Jeremiah Johnson October 5, 2024 Thanks for that “Ode to Joy” – love how your poem just unrolls the carpet of nature’s beauty – truly something worthy of praise and of praising its Maker! Reply
James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Jeremiah, I hope “…unrolls the carpet of nature’s beauty” finds its way into one your of own poems, someday. It is a lovely phrase in its own right. Thanks for your uplifting comment. Reply
Joseph S. Salemi October 5, 2024 This is a small tour de force — completely enjambed, and one sentence (with a semicolon break midway through). There are only four rhymes: the A, B, C. and D ones of spring, skies, Sierra, and goodbye. One might even argue that there is no D rhyme, since the only difference between “skies” and “goodbye” is the pluralizing /s/. And the rhyme of “Sierra” with “where a” is inspired. There’s also an unrestrained use of brilliant and evocative diction — a faux pas in modernist crap, but a delight in traditional poetry. “Renoir dots and drabbles” took me by surprise, and that is what polished, sophisticated diction should always try to accomplish. Reply
James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Thank you for the affirmation. It is one of those poems that seemed to write itself, my having seen and experienced it all so recently this past August. Reply
Jeff Eardley October 5, 2024 Jim, this is quite wonderful, “Renoir dots and drabbles along freshing snow-fed streams whose whispered burbles sing” is an absolute gob-smacker of a line. There has got to be a song in this. A most enjoyable read. Thank you. Reply
James A. Tweedie October 5, 2024 Jeff, if anyone could turn words into music it would be you! Thanks for suggesting that my words sing—or maybe hum… Reply
James Sale October 6, 2024 I agree with the praise heaped on this poem; it is a tour-de-force. More often than not when you have a really striking poem, the ‘strike’ comes down to the handling of the syntax, which lesser poets can’t do, which is why their work sounds derivative. But here the flow ‘seems’ effortless – nicely facilitated by the enjambement as Joe points out. And as James himself observes, it seemed to ‘write itself’, suggesting a Kubla Khan type of induced state: ah! The Muse comes! What next for the Tweedie? Obviously – opium! Reply
James A. Tweedie October 6, 2024 Lol, James. Unlike Coleridge, I remembered my entire poem when I woke up. And in any case, if I had my druthers, rather than opium, I think I would find more inspiration from osuzanna, or osolomio. PS. Thanks for the thumbs up. Reply
Cheryl Corey October 6, 2024 “dots and drabbles” (I had to look up “drabble”) well describe Renoir’s plein-air Impressionist style of painting; and the poem comes across as plein-air inspired. Reply
Adam Sedia October 6, 2024 This was absolutely beautiful – the image-rich, tightened short poem that I like. I echo Dr Salemi’s comments about your rhyme and diction. I also like how you repeat your opening phrase in the closing line, providing a sense of closure, of a journey of thought completed. Great work. Reply
C.B. Anderson October 10, 2024 You know you are good, James, and you don’t seem surprised when others tell you you are. Whatever muse by whom you are underwritten may retire with full honors, but I have a feeling that the two of you aren’t done yet. Direct & Subtle is the name of the law firm in which you two are founding partners. Reply
James A. Tweedie October 11, 2024 C.B. Let’s just say that when I am good, I am usually aware of it and when I am not, no amount of compliments or praise will convince me otherwise. In any case, I redirect all positive comments to my muse, who, lately, seems to be going off on extended vacations more often than in the past. Reply