And now

The long winter is behind us—

Everything blue-toned and barren, bleak.

Days dark as tunnels,

Nights hard and crystallized as ice—

Skies infinite and twinkling, lonely.

So now

This long winter, too, is behind us

For I see them— which means

We've made it

Through: veils of pastel, pale-yellow, 

Tender white and finest blue

Shine shyly against the harsh truth

Of winter.

The first hues of green, all

Freshness and Promise— we hold them

Tightly in our arms now, suddenly

We recognize ourselves again: You

Recognize me, underneath the layers of 

Shabby old wool. Today

We shall crack eggs for breakfast 

And toast to new springs; 

A whole basket of sunrises ahead of us

Another full and untapped pint of summer—

Everything ahead of us—

Everything behind us—

But mostly, everything, Now.