BrokenEchoes

  Opening Reflection: June has arrived with its heavy green and its sudden rains. The air feels thicker, like it’s full of stories still half-formed. Some days I feel suspended between seasons. While remembering the promise of spring, I am bracing for summer’s heat.  Writing Update: I’ve spent much of this past week revisiting older work, not to revise it, but to reflect on it. One poem in particular came to mind after a recent conversation with my wife about small joys: the first blooms of the season, the reappearance of the birds in the yard, or how the light changes across the lake. Spotlight Poem: “Early Spring” Read it here: Early Spring (March 2022) This poem was inspired by a walk my wife and I took through Paintsville Lake State Park. It was still winter, but there were signs of an early spring The trail was still wearing winter’s grey and there was a cold breath of wind off the water. But in the middle of all that stillness, she saw them: the first wildflowers o...

  The world is waking up from the cold night of winter Redbuds and dogwoods bloom Bringing a streak of cooler days But reminding us of the coming summer Or warning us The hills grow greener each day Grass is growing, causing an intermittent buzz of mowers It harmonizes with the buzz of insects increasing activity They crawl and fly and drone incessantly Birds are singing more and more Snakes and spiders and small mammals awaken and wander Seed are being planted, watered, and cared for Gardens are being planned, prepared, and implemented Warm clothes have been packed away Spring is here and the days are growing longer I thought they were long enough  

  Today is bright Warm and pleasant There are people on their lunch break Enjoying of the calm embrace of spring They walk by the flowers in the city parking lot They stop in for an iced mocha at the coffee shop They window shop at the antique store on the corner They wave their hellos at each other Or rest on benches Or nibble their lunches at the picnic table They bask in the sunny respite for a fleeting moment Then shuffle back inside to finish their day.

  We endured a long bleak winter In which no joy could grow Sorrows accumulated like snowflakes We longed for the warm rescue of spring It felt like it would never arrive I couldn’t find a way to help The drifts deepened The ground was frozen So we left We picked up our things and we left That frigid tundra may still be there But we don’t care Here the land is rich The sorrows are few And joy grows abundantly.

  I am consistently amazed  at the level to which She is attuned to  The initial faint whispers of an early spring. She is energized by growth, renewal, birth, becoming Rising abuzz with the essence of youth emerging Eyes wider to the lighter greens still yearning for longer days Rejoicing in the golden glowing morning Savoring the mild hesitation of the lilac dusk She awakens eagerly as the earth does, overcoming grey slumber Opens her arms in unison with the blue and orange flowers. She welcomes the new beginnings with a warm embrace. As she finds her home and hope in the blooming of a new young spring, I find mine in her, and follow her into the soft, warm, dew-dappled morning. 02/28/2022