"A Northland Spring"
The thick nouns of our winter cold are soon To disappear like shifting, soft vapor, Like morning fog that clings as close as loons To lake tops warmer than the April air. When up it lifts, the skies erupt in blue Announcing with the earth that spring has sprung. Warm breezes! Rain! Round, cotton clouds and dew! These greens! Such oxygen is gold for lungs. As Northerners, we rush outdoors to sing, To revel in the sun our skin has missed We happily observe the birds trav'ling, Bright promises enclosed in their twig fists. And just as we put back mittens and hats, We wake to white—more snow—yes, just like that. -- by moi Originally written for my students after a lively sonnet lesson. Originally published in The Saint Cloud Times April 2008 Spring Poetry feature.