Springtime Splendor

Springtime is unfolding beautifully here at the Mount, with a lush landscape of blooming redbud, crabapple, and dogwood trees, greening grass, and vibrant tulips. Here is a poem in honor of the exuberance triggered by the sights, smells, and sensations of the season. No matter what your day brings, treat yourself to some time outside to infuse yourself with the splendors of early spring!





Ring Bearer

If you were

to hew me down like a tree

you could trace

my years of drought and plenty,

but whether

the rings be thick or thin

you’ll notice

jagged spikes in the same spot

on each circle,

bursts of exuberance

prompted

by the smell of freshly tilled soil,

the season’s

first impossibly yellow daffodil,

and birdsong—

first fruits of a spring we

weren’t sure

would ever arrive,

and though the

year’s provenance has yet

to unfurl,

I know for certain it’s time

to plant peas

and turn the compost pile,

groundwork

for whatever life presents

in another

circle around the sun.