Not quite sure why Giovanna Battaglia immediately reminded me of this e.e. cummings poem but I thought I would share it with you without too much analysis nonetheless because it is a rare opportunity to read these lovely words:
in Just-
spring when the world is mud-
luscious the little
lame balloonman
whistles far and wee
and eddieandbill come
running from marbles and
piracies and it's
spring
when the world is puddle-wonderful
the queer
old balloonman whistles
far and wee
and bettyandisbel come dancing
from hop-scotch and jump-rope and
it's
spring
and
the
goat-footed
balloonMan whistles
far
and
wee
— e.e. cummings, from Tulips and Chimneys(1923)
Giovanna looks exactly mud-luscious and puddle-wonderful here, does she not? Her shoes are perfect for hop-scotching and jump-roping and marbling and piracies! I think I like both her outfit and the poem because they capture an aspect of the early days of spring, not as colorful as the days that follow but lightening and lifting, savoring the bloom and promising more to follow.
Giovanna Battaglia photograph © 2010 Vanessa Jackman. All Rights Reserved.
"In Just-" © 1920 Edward Estlin Cummings. All Rights Reserved.