Written for dVerse Poets Pub ~ Quadrille Monday:
Come Bloom With Me! Our host, Lillian, invites us
to write a 44-word poem with the word “bloom”.
This is my quadrille.
© NAR
White petals unfurl
like a thousand cupped hands
releasing light….
the dogwood’s soft bloom.
Spring offers no apology for such extravagance,
each bract a quiet sermon spoken to no congregation
but the dusk, the bare branch,
and whoever stopped long enough to look up.
NAR©2026
Nancy’s Notes: The “petals” of a dogwood blossom are actually four large, showy modified leaves that surround a cluster of tiny, inconspicuous true flowers in the center. These bracts, usually white or pink, protect the developing flower buds during winter and attract pollinators in spring.
This is “Underneath The Dogwood Tree” by Train
Everything on The Elephant’s Trunk was created by me, unless otherwise indicated. Thanks for your consideration. NAR©2017-present.
The Elephant's Trunk 
Alovely quadrille Nancy! Enjoy your dogwood tree! xox
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It’s right outside my bedroom window! Thanks, CA 😊
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So simply beautiful Nancy 💞
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Thank you very much, Suzanne! The dogwood is a beautifully simple tree. 😌
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Nancy, I love how “a thousand cupped hands releasing light” makes the flowers feel gentle and full of care 🌸
~David
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Thank you for sharing your thoughts, David. I’m so pleased to know you enjoyed that line. I think it brought the tree to life. ☺️
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*hug!*
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So beautiful
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Thank you kindly, Sadje 💕
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🦄🦄🦄
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No apology for such extravagance is an excellent line.
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Thanks! I thought it really fit the understated dogwood.
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Nature’s beauty is a constant whether it’s observed or not. A strong suggestion for us to slow down and open our eyes!
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You are so right about that, Susan; thanks for adding your thoughts to my poem. It’s the simplicity of the dogwood that makes it so special. Thank you! ☺️
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Beautiful poem! Reminds me of one of mine I’m posting later today. Such inspiration!
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I can’t wait to read it! Thank you, my sister!
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I do not think we can grow dogwood here in Sweden, sounds like a wonderful flower.
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Thank you, Bjorn. Our tree has grown so tall and wide, I was able to take photos through my open bedroom window! It blooms like this every year.
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You had me with the first three lines…..and then the absolute gift of the second stanza. Yes, yes, yes! “a quiet sermon spoken to no congregation”…just stop, look, and feel joy! Absolutely love this poem! Thank you so much for posting to the prompt!
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It’s my great pleasure, Lillian! I am not a very good photographer, but I was determined to get a good shot of our dogwood, even if it meant through our bedroom window! Thank you very much for your enthusiastic and complementary comments. I’m so appreciative. ☺️
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A lovely white flower, and a lovely poem, my friend … and I’m quietly enjoying the soundtrack too!!
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Thank you for your lovely comments and new version of a familiar song. 🥰
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My pleasure, and I the cover version too 🎶🥰
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Beautiful Nance you capture the breathless quality of spring – where nature seems almost recklessly generous with its beauty – I love it💞
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Our dogwood blooms so beautifully every spring and I was determined to get a good shot; please don’t ask how many times I tried until I got a suitable one! Your words of appreciation have made my day! Thank you, Ange. 😌
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It is beautiful ♥️
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💕
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Evocative and beautiful, Nancy, especially:
‘each bract a quiet sermon spoken to no congregation
but the dusk, the bare branch,
and whoever stopped long enough to look up’.
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I’m so pleased to know those lines landed well with you, Kymber. The dogwood tree is so unassuming, but it’s blooms are heaven sent. Thank you so much for your lovely comments. 😌
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My pleasure, Nancy,
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I looked up more about bracts. Flowers that are not quite flowers (in the case of the dogwood) – is that right?
Great close observation Nancy 👏
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That’s a good definition, Shaun, I did not realize that myself until the guy at the nursery we frequent explained it to me. It is such a delicate bloom, isn’t it? Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
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Beautiful written Nancy 😘
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Thank you, Maggie ☺️
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Lovely! 😍 The dogwood blossom looks gorgeous. Your quadrille is so relatable and beautiful!
I enjoy reading your awesome writings that are inspirational ☺️ Your notes about the blossom are so accurate; one learns new things everyday 🌸
I just have a question, if I may ask. Are you tech-savvy?
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Thanks for such lovely comments; very appreciated.
Tech savvy? No! What I know, I do well, like creating images. I took more than a dozen photos of my tree to get one good one! 😂
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You are most welcome ☺️ I appreciate you, too.
You are right 👍 When we know something, we do it well. Your pictures are so lovely, even after a dozen tries! 😂👍
I am a tech-savvy person, so I do it well! Like writing lines of code, troubleshooting PC problems, upgrading hardware, and so on. I started using computers since I was five. ☺️
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Well done!
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Thank you! I appreciate your kindness 😇
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