The Awakening

Waking from a deep sleep

the forest yawns and stretches out

stiff limbs

A warm light caresses

the lifeless branches

coaxing out curious puffs

of fuzzy magic

Tiny creatures

poke their heads

from the dark earth.

Such shy, fragile things

Rain falls

and falls

seeming endless

It must reach deep

to stir those

who continue to sleep

Ice transforms to a more fluid state

allowing the fish to escape

their cramped indoor existence

Each flower celebrates

its release

from bulb form

with a glow

whose light, colour and presence,

outshines its real life size

ten-fold!

Silly characters pop out of the lawn;

a happy, unplanned surprise.

I suppose I must thank the squirrels

for this one kind act

among the multitude of mischievous

re-plantings they perform in the fall

Daffodils emit an otherworldly glow;

They seem to siphon their colour

directly from the sun

becoming landlocked beacons of light

for us,

winter weary travellers

With an uncanny ability

to sense Spring air

they have yet to breathe

Houseplants,

rescued from last year's frost,

burst into joyous bloom

Outside,

timid colours

deepen

Fragrance

dances on the

ever-warming breeze

sneaking in through

windows that now remain

a crack open

Early bloomers

know their time

will soon be over,

buds give way to seed

Nature reminds us every day

in colour, shape and form -

It's always about Transformation!

Oh Spring, Where Art Thou?

It appears Spring has been hijacked by Winter,

and is refusing to leave.

Fresh snow continues to fall

discouraging the tulips that have optimistically

poked their heads out of the cold, hard ground.

The forest remains bare-branched and empty.

The only things out to greet me on my walks

are last year's weathered flowers

And the joyous sound of birdsong welcoming

a Spring that has yet to arrive.

The sun assures us it is doing it's best

to move things along,

Casting the most lovely glow on anything

brave or hardy enough to make it through the winter.

And so I admire what fall has left behind;

A gift given once but appreciated twice.

"Adopt the pace of nature, her secret is patience."

~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

Yes, patience...

And so I will continue to admire

the longer days and (slightly) warmer temperatures.

While I wait for Spring to truly arrive.

Autumn Rays

Is there such a thing as a solemn autumn?

How can that be

When trees decorate themselves with baubles

And colourful clouds

Swirl among their branches

When water glows with lights

From somewhere

Deep within

And lemon-yellow leaves wave to us

from crisp blue skies

The forest may darken earlier in the day

But lights are left on for us to find our way as the sun

Wishes us goodnight

And the Autumn winds play a song

Only the heavy-headed grasses can hear

There is no time for solemn days

When the world is painted gold.

Fellowship Of The Ferns

In the quiet of the forest

when no one is watching,

delicate ferns unfurl lacy,

fragile fronds.

With ghostly, green fingers,

they reach out

to connect,

one atop the other.

Alone,

they are a single branch.

Together,

they form a magical,

green labyrinth.

A fellowship of ferns.

Spring Awakenings

You never know

who you'll meet

when you're

out for a walk

in the woods.

Les Grandes Dames de l'Hiver

The Grand Ladies of Winter

all dressed up

for the Ball

Narnia

Everything presses in on you all at once

The blinding whiteness

The silence

The cold

But mostly...

The overwhelming awe of all that snow

What a remarkable quirk of nature

Need Some?

It can be found

in the nearest

Forest.

Fairy Tale Time

Mushrooms conjure up fairy tales for me.

So much magic in these

umbrella-topped imps.

Snow Ducks

Tired of paddling in the frigid pond

the ducks are on the move.

Spring has tickled the earth beneath the snow

and they forage for the vegetation that begins to grow.

They're funny

these forest ducks,

wiggling their way

around branch and tree,

maneuvering over root and snag.

With bright orange snowshoes

they waddle along

With an occasional stumble and flap

when one foot sinks too deep.

They look at home,

snuggled

in their warm brown

feathers.

Of course they'd like the snow.

It's nothing more than frozen water :)