This winter weather continues to linger too long
As yet another April snowstorm suffocates the spring
The tiny ice crystals frosting over the forsythia
Punishing the bursting red maple buds for their optimism.
The white pine trees show the burdens they have borne
Bent and broken by the several blizzards of March
And yet the robins are here and the cardinals are calling
Encouraging us to expect warmer days soon.
I saw a northern flicker sheltering from the wind gusts
Perched on the leeward side of a tree trunk
Finding frozen food in the insect aisle under the bark
An early arrival in the vanguard of the spring migration.
In a time of transition the signals are mixed
As the bare trees wait out the increasing inclination of the
sun
Ready to flower and cast their pollen into the haze
Everything will change almost overnight.
Today as I view the snowflakes drifting down and sticking
Looking out from where I keep warm and dry
I can enjoy our ritual of providing supplemental sustenance
Setting out seeds and suet for our feathered friends.
The quiet hush of falling snow pleases me as I pause to
listen
Watching the white layer accumulate on every horizontal surface
Knowing it will all melt away in a day or two I don’t mind
The chance to see a bit of winter one more time.
