Ode to a Sluggish Spring Awakened

I awoke this morning to treetops exploded,
their limbs no longer able to keep the flowery secrets inside.
To brassy Flickers
bellowing throaty claims atop Midwestern jungles
of Elm and Sycamore,
Locust and Linden.

The slow unfolding of this strange cool Spring
reminds me of the value of patience
the ache of hope
the steadiness of trees.

Spring brings other reminders, too.
. . . That strange giddiness of teens teetering on their futures
their toes curled tightly over the lip of this day
eyes peering intently into
the fog of a vast unknown

I am comforted by this steady evolution
The brilliant 23-degree tilt of my home
that lets in life and growth
seasons and renewal

I breathe it in
filling my lungs with
the musty essence of what once was
the fragrance of tulips steeped in ancient memory
the umami of wet earth
teeming with possibility

And I am awake.
Finally.