Ode to a Fiddlehead
Winter's icy fist relinquished
Birch, maple, pine ever reaching skyward
Verdant buds bursting with delight
So too, bristling cedar, spruce and tamarack
Raise stiff boughs once laden with snow
The earth warmed by spring's first sunshine
Gives birth to crocus, daffodil and trillium
Blooms dazzling with colour
A boldful extravaganza of exaltation
Greet perhaps the humblest of all
Unfurled, bowed in solemn prayer
Giving thanks for a new beginning
The fiddlehead
Since the going in the forest is much easier, now that the snow has fled and the trees and bushes have yet to fully bloom their foliage, following the surveyors faded ribbons, I finally walked to the other end of the property, which is almost 3/4 of a mile hike. The going is easy as I walked down from the house to a small winter creek, which cuts across the centre of the meadow and then up into the forest. It's not until the old "wheeler" (ATV - all terraine vehicle) narrow road ends that the going begins to get a little more difficult. The forest floor is strewn with moss clad boulders, some as large as a living room, fallen trees, some by man and others with age and of course poking up through a carpet of fallen brown leaves can be seen wild flowers and fiddleheads like the ones I photographed and wrote a poem about.
Fiddleheads are the unfurled fronds of ferns, which are often found within moist and shaded areas. Like the ugly duckling, once the fronds are fully grown, they are as beautiful and graceful flowing in the breeze as a swan. Besides being beautiful, in many parts of the world, fiddleheads are considered a vegetable delicacy. They are harvested early in the spring before the frond has opened and has reached its full height and there are many types such as Bracken, Ostrich, Cinnamon and Royal. Each plant produces seven tops and they should not be over-picked because it will kill them so don't be greedy if you have a voracious appetite for their tastiness - maintaining sustainable harvesting methods is advised.
Chicken & Fiddleheads - mmm
Fiddlehead Sculpture - St. John, NB
Besides the fact that fiddleheads are a tasty addition to a spring meal, containing Omega 3 and Omega5, are high in iron and fibre, they have also been the subject of many artists, like the sculpture in St. John, NB. Because of its distinctive, curled shape resembling the end of a stringed instrument, such as a violin (fiddle); my way of thinking, it's the Stradivarius of the plant kingdom. I wouldn't be surprised to see the fiddlehead's ornamental shapeliness adorning the bowsprit of a tall ship cutting through the Atlantic's frothy waves or carved at the head of a long staff in the hands of a mountain shepherd as he tends his fleecy flock. There is a delicateness, yet a strength and boldness as the plant slowly stretches its head upwards and reaches for glimpses of the sun filtering through the high verdant canopy overhead. It almost seems a shame to behead this plant before it reaches maturity but since I've yet to experience the flavour and goodness of a fiddlehead, I'm going to sharpen my knife and cut a few for supper - don't worry - I'll not be a hog and will make certain that the plant is not killed, so next year when the snow has melted away, the fiddleheads will return.
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