Abundance acrostic

/ Fran Haley

The acrostic is an ancient poetic form, appearing in Scripture and as prayers in medieval literature. On Day Five of National Poetry Month, I use it to announce a family celebration…with a little wordplay…

Although I planned to resume writing of Easter’s
Bounty in the nest on the front door wreath,
Unprecedented number of little blue eggs—five!—
Now, instead, I ask you to picture my family
Doing a bun dance over the holiday,
At least in our hearts, at this
New-life announcement on
Cookies and a special T-shirt:
Expecting! —Exponential Easter joy!

First, the finch eggs in the nest on the front door.
The fifth egg appeared this morning.
We usually get three or four. Abundance!

Now for the cookies:
My daughter-in-law and granddaughter made them
to announce the special news to my husband and me
over Easter weekend
…aBUNdance!

My granddaughter’s face was radiant,
delivering those cookies at our family dinner.
In this photo she is crying on first hearing the news.
She threw herself into my son’s arms.
The desire of her little heart, granted; abundant joy.

—A-bun-dance, indeed!

39 thoughts on “Abundance acrostic”

  1. I love this on so many levels. Capturing such a blessed moment. How old is your granddaughter? Ours was 2 1/2 when her brother arrived. She had a hard time be displaced. She has adjusted but it was a hard intrusion in her life, but it is getting better. And through the pandemic it was good they had each other. We only have one child and hence 2 grands. It makes life happy. Happy Easter and Happy News!!! Your poem is perfection for this blessed news. Happy for all.

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    • At this very moment, the finches are cheeping loudly at the door, which I’ve marked off as a bird sanctuary; we continue to celebrate the abundance of new life all around – thank you!

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  6. A Bun Dance! Congratulations on the growing nest, your granddaughter’s reaction, and the cleverness of your son and daughter-in-law…whoever is responsible for the cookies. Brilliant. My you have exponential Easter joy for many ages.

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    • Many thanks – we are all rejoicing over here. Dancing hearts, for sure! My daughter-in-law is a baker; she made the cookies. My granddaughter helped, and got to give them to my husband and me to announce the news. She was wearing the Big Sister T-shirt and positively glowing. For the record, my amazing daughter-in-law is also an artist; she painted the wedding portrait in the background of the last photo. It’s breathtaking.

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  7. Congratulations all around!! You wove the news together with simple brilliance with a Fran’s flair! Your words and images are married beautifully in this slice! Your granddaughter’s face is absolutely delicious! Congratulations, again!!

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    • Thank you, Dawn – no words for how excited we are, or for capturing the priceless glow on our granddaughter’s face as she came into our house bearing those cookies and wearing that Big Sister shirt!

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  9. Such a sweet, coincidental announcement! Babies “baking” all around provide sweet anticipation. I look forward to preparatory posts coming up; is grandmother nesting a thing? (I think it should be.) A-bun-dance is such a clever play on words! Your post brings to mind my own happy memories of our daughter’s joy at becoming a big sister; she was of similar age at her brother’s birth, and their tight bond remains, even across an ocean.

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    • I can say, at least for myself, that “grandmother nesting” is a thing; I now have a heightened sense of urgency to get some projects and repairs completed this summer so they’re done before Baby arrives in the fall. And that closeness you describe between your own is my prayer for these children, for always,

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  10. A Bun Dance!! Oh, what a beautiful play on words and dance with life! I can hear the
    Music of laughter and happiness. Congratulations – I love the way you made the metaphorical connection to the eggs in the nest

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    • Joy is reverberating all around here, Kim, from the birdsong at my door to my granddaughter’s laughter to the heightened beating of all our hearts at this news – many thanks!

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    • That was the first thing I said after it sank in, Elsie – “Oh, what a thanksgiving we’ll have!” My son is very tenderhearted and when he saw the tiny heart beating in the ultrasound, he cried. ❤

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  18. How very very exciting, the best news anyone could have. I always think girls want to be a sister… and your granddaughter definitely does! Fabulous acrostic, I love the word ‘abundance’ and your play on it! So much to look forward to…!

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  19. Oh my GOODNESS – how very exciting and wonderful – for you all! I have a cheek-hurting smile on my face right now. It spread as soon as I saw the word “bun.” Oh, hooray! Abundance indeed. I’d say your heart may have been overflowing, but my guess is, it’s just….expanding. Exponentially. =)

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