new leaves new life

what we depend on may not be always clear
we don't think of it as new nor yet as old
we don't think of the season as warm or cold
we see the smoke curling up in the bright air
we've come so far and now we see the year
turn into spring for now we're being told
that winter's done that now we may be bold
cast off our coats and with them all our fear
the lights in the distance mark another road
the spaces we have left may now expand
there's nothing we desire that we can't do
the message comes in clear and not in code
the tools we'll need come readily to hand
life sends its message it's time now to renew

flowers everywhere

the cycles that we live in always seem
so narrow and so short we long for days
when we can walk the easy rural ways
in the warm light of the glistening beam
but what we ask for is what others deem
not quite enough we wonder at what rays
light other lives and what image stays
when we awaken from our nightly dream
not always is it cold we know the heat
will drive our age out and restore the mind
but what we have to see is where the sun
allows us to resume our regular beat
and what we have this year to leave behind
another season closer to being done

poised at the end of day

we see no limits to this late march sky
those things we wish for we may soon obtain
the minutes come and go the seconds fly

what's attempted now is neither low nor high
the answer that we get couldn't be more plain
we see no limits to this late march sky

the bees and wasps we watch them buzzing by
the ants have come out waiting for the rain
the minutes come and go the seconds fly

we've asked what and when and even why
our souls and bodies cannot take the strain
we see no limits to this late march sky

we've gone outside the air's no longer dry
we've great anticipation of the rain
the minutes come and go the seconds fly

not pierced yet to the root we want to try
the question that seems most to pertain
we see no limits to this late march sky
the minutes come and go the seconds fly

For TNH and the spring

You and the warmer time we celebrate
lady whose virtual home is kept so bright,
whose wisdom and good thinking, day and night,
allows us our small stories to relate,
to praise you would be a matter of much weight
but here and now is time for making light
of troubles past and future, it is right
to celebrate this notable recurring date.
Spring is the time when hope and long desire,
kept by the winter from achieving fruit,
combine to let us go outside and dance;
we've kept things going, kept the lonely fire
alight through all the coldest times, the root
of all our satisfactions. Now, let us advance.

and does it matter

if there's no sound we don't know we are there
at the wood's end where the trees are old and tall
we can't hear any voices cannot hear the call
that once was shouted through the fragrant air
before one could say what the means of care
or why more distant objects seemed so very small
the earth we knew was a large bluegreen ball
and there was no place anywhere more fair
now we have heard the message come we'll blame
the messenger since we have no way to reach
the source and let it know exactly how we feel
there's a desire to give our fears their proper name
to use them as a new device to learn or teach
but that requires a new turn of the wheel