March is such a tease. A warm day here, two there, then bitter cold for another week. Spring begins on the calendar in a few days. But in this part of the world winter can rear it's frozen head right into April. Where's global warming when you need it?
I'd like to think that we're over the hump with winter. Along the shores of Lake Ontario (just a mile from where I live) we have often had some of our biggest snow storms in March, and a few major ice storms in April. So I cross my fingers.
The following selections provide me with encouragement that warm days are ahead. It seems a bit late this year, but finally I've seen a few Robins, daffodils, and sniffed the fragrance of skunk in the air. A sure sign that spring is approaching! The poem "tulip" was written about a lonely tulip that was growing alone in roadside construction. The piece titled "islands lush" somewhat represents, in my mind, the desire for change and the need for renewal in spirit.
My fair weather nature notwithstanding, the sound of gentle rain outside my window will be a pleasant change from the crunch of snow and lung burning cold.
Rick Baker
Rochester, NY
March 16, 2009
