Sonnet for the Ides of April
Brambles put out new leaves to fuel new growth,
and cover barren ground with defenses.
Sun’s path is steady in his virile youth.
blue asters overwhelm grayed-out senses,
which long were accustomed to gray and brown.
Forsythia cheers with blooms of yellow,
and breeze bears a cargo of loosened down.
Mallard is diving for weeds where shallow
waters (still chill from winter) bear new life,
and here are leaves where none were yesterday.
Midnight can cut still — sharper than a knife,
yet oak unfurls leaves at bright Sun’s first ray.
Beauty unfolds with precision and flair,
and songbirds warble in the clear spring air.
Beautiful day yesterday, and beautiful day today. Leah is here for the morning, which is wonderful; and though I’m on duty for most of the day we do get some time together this weekend.
Yesterday I saw a snake eating a frog. The snake was having trouble maneuvering the forearms into its mouth, but it managed fine other than that. First time I’ve seen that in the wild.
