I bend to clear the brown crumpled leaves that hide in each corner
They crinkle and shatter, dry and parched by the winter frost
Brown stems with fronds and their seeds wave in the breeze
The green shoots peep cautiously from their stems
Chop and cut and tidy up the remnants of past displays of colour and smell
Smell of earth as soils is woken from a winter slumber
Brown and crumbly wriggling worms and tiny slugs re-seek the dark
Life is stirring in the sun the ragged shapes stretch up seeking warmth
Light is life climbers climb and weeds lurk waiting for the chance to grow
Raking brushing snipping digging order emerges from the tangled chaos
Breathing hope a New Year dawns the shoots of spring spring forth
The smoke it smells of woody things and spirals high to turn to ash and disappear
Looking neater cut the grass the sun is fading chilly long shadows form
Soon the chirping birds will come with bursting buds and pussy willow
Then we’ll know when nature stirs and days grow longer Spring has sprung
Written on a warm spring like day in anticipation of its imminent arrival.
Alistair J Parker
16th February 2015
