Fragments of Winter Into Spring

     Stephanie Gordon, Member

Sidewalks wet with muddy sludge

Old remnants of torn autumn leaves

Crackling thin films of ice

Pooled, shallow, dirty water

Sticks and pebbles stuck in cracks

And I, gingerly walking home.

I lift my chest, swing my arms

Breathe deeply

Chilly air feels fresh

No sprigs of green, yet

No tiny flowers pushing through the earth

Hardened, crusty snow receding

Water trickles near the edge of lawns.

Morning raindrops fall softly on my coat

I smell spring rain in the offing

The sprinkles were a teaser

Main attraction, Mister Cardinal

Singing his cheer, cheer, what, what, what

From the still, leafless tree-top.

Earth is waking from her winter slumbers

She aches from atrophied tree limbs

Sometimes air is sharp and tangy cold

Breezes shyly drift from more windy blasts

Hope is reborn in such moments

Grab onto the scent of newness, hold tight

Soon the bright cloak of spring pops free!