Spring
'Tis not yet the Ides of March on the upper Great Lakes;
Wind at 40 knots howls like a chorus of wolves;
Temperature low in the teens, wind chill 30 below;
Six inches of new snow, drifting a foot or more;
A scene so dour, one asks, will spring ever come again?
Awaiting Spring, according to conventional wisdom;
What is Spring?
One of the Seasons?
Gather close and consider Spring as Mother Nature;
Spring is ephemeris;
Spring with phases: (re)birth, growth, maturity, and waiting;
(Re)birth as the sun's daily trek moves higher o'er horizon;
Warmth melts snows of Waiting;
Creeks, rivers, and wetlands swell and await early arrivals;
Smelt and diving ducks are surely near;
(Re)birth as the bear, coon, possum, badger, and skunk leave dens;
Feeding again, a new generation learns the perpetual lesson;
Colors change, the old brown carpet, a new Kelly green;
Bare, bony branches sprout a feathery lime-green mist;
Cedars, firs, and pines relax the colors of Waiting;
With impeccable timing the warblers arrive;
(Re)birth as grass and wildflowers leap from the earth;
The late comers busy with their own perpetuation;
The sun high above the horizon, offering its catalyst;
Leaves appear; birch, maple and oak sigh in relief;
Colors darken; early flowers bloom shyly;
Growth as the sun hits zenith;
Long gold days, warm starry nights;
From soil, sustenance out of energy and water;
All things flourish according to plan;
Flowering colors bright with pride;
Growth as the warming fades imperceptibly;
Longer nights as though tinted at the temples;
Cool breezes occasionally ruffle leaf and bloom;
Colors fade, some hints of tan, silver, and gray;
Maturity as growth slows, then stops;
Sun retreats rapidly replaced by longer, cool, nights;
First casualties are the insects and flowers;
Seeds in the wind, spawn in the waters;
All species planning the next (re)birth;
Maturity begets atrophy;
Brown grass, leaves blown by cold winds;
A lazy sun rises little;
Fleeting warmth conjures images of Growth and Maturity;
Migratory insects and birds leave trails in the sky;
Waiting begins slowly, 'Tis the longest phase;
A me at first, temperatures dropping day after day;
40, 30, 20, how low can it go?
A game punctuated with ice, sleet and snow;
Waiting month after month, will it ever end?
The clues subtle now, crow, eagle, and occasional fox;
Has the Mother forsaken her children?
Waiting, life goes on unseen, under the snow and ice;
Voles and mice leaving trails found when snow recedes;
Beaver, muskrat and otter in lodges on frozen waters;
Eagles in great aeries raising chicks as it blows;
Transition, slow to come;
The cycle of Spring once more.