when in February, I perch
on the cuttingly cold stones
of the old front steps,
I tell no one passing by
that I sit in awed admiration
that one plum chooses now to bloom
I tell no one stopping by –
how we both of us are furtive
and beautiful out of season
© Sarah Whiteley
our forsythia doesn’t bloom,
never having been properly pruned
the workmen (dirty-jeaned, bantering)
being more adept at paint and plumbing
than the etiquette of flowers
© Sarah Whiteley
the insistence of clouds
makes of this a barely moon –
a struggle against
the low skies of winter
and yet yesterday
I watched a robin stridently pipe
his wish for a willing wife
from the top of the power pole
spring, though still disguised
in her winter veil,
emerges from the damp –
shyly purple, in violets
© Sarah Whiteley
the unfinished fence
stands
several feet yet
from the wall
as if it too
paused to gaze
at the wisteria
© Sarah Whiteley
I am utterly in love with the spring this year. I am blessed with beautiful walks, wonderful four-legged (and two-winged) companions, and the good sense to cherish the quiet moments that are given to me.
Stayed tuned for some very exciting news later this week!
the dogwood holds out its buds
in tight-fingered spring,
weeks after the juncos began to sing
and the robins to trill their territories
even the cherry trees twisted with age
have thrust their changing into the air,
as though they feel the need to prove
they can still and burst themselves
pink with the effort
all this for clutches of crows’ eggs
and creamy crowned daffodils
nodding delight in spite
of a fresh invasion of snails
© Sarah Whiteley
It is done. I officially finished with the deadline madness at about half past eight tonight. There will be plenty of clean-up to handle, but the hard part is over and done. I can’t say I handled myself with complete grace in the last few hours and I’m a little ruffled in spirit right now, but I think a good solid weekend and returning to a normal workflow will set things right.
Anyway, I am so happy to be back and in a place where I can start writing more regularly and visiting all those lovely writerly corners of the web that I’ve missed during the past several weeks. (You know who you are!)
ebbtide 