There’s something about spring that makes you feel hopeful, you know? It stays light later, the weather’s warmer and our clothes aren’t so cumbersome. The birds are chattering away, and every day on our walk with Scamp, Charlie and me see nature waking up. There are buds on the trees, the forsythia is in bloom, and the lawn (dare I say it) is tinged with green. After winter, the sights, sounds and smells of spring are like a balm to my soul. Exploding color: fresh, bright and unapologetic. Charlie’s feeling it, too. In fact, he wrote a poem about it.
Daffodils
Did you finish rakin’ leaves
Last fall? Me, not at all
But soon the yard looked quite alright
All covered in its coat of white
First snow you shovel from your door
Doesn’t even seem a chore
So it pelts you on the face:
You’re happy for the change of pace
The snow’s that light and fluffy sort
And shovelin’ time is nice and short
Your blower starts, pull number one
And bing, bang, boom, your driveway’s done
I’d say by February, though
You’re kind of tired of the snow
You greet the storms (‘cause that month has ‘em)
With somewhat less enthusiasm
Donning all those stupid layers
Digging out the deck and stairs
You’re repeating, blow-by-blow
The job you did two days ago!
November’s light and easy fluff
Has given way to soggy stuff
You’re standing up, but sorta bent
From dealing with that white cement
Now, the blowing’s more a battle
You’re fed up with the engine’s rattle
And by March, you’ve really had it
April, well, you’re done, dagnabbit!
But even if you’re ticked and pouting
Still, the dog, he needs his outing
So you trudge, lookin’ down
Then notice something on the ground
Daffodils! Well, don’t you know,
Pokin’ right up through the snow!
How long, it seems, since we have seen
Anything that shade of green
The birds are chatterin’, loud and clear
And setting up their houses, here
Them yellow ones are on the feeder
Color! Do we ever need ‘er!
Winter’s grind, though it binds us,
With any luck, is now behind us
That’s it for now. Catch you on the flip side!
Hear Ida Tell It: Daffodils
Upcoming Shows and Book Events: Spring/Summer
May 18: Book Reading: Finding Your Inner Moose & The Sweet Life, Winslow Public Library, http://www.winslow-me.gov/departments/library 6:00pm, Winslow, ME
May 27: Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale!, The Castle on Charles, http://www.castlenh.com/ 8:00pm, Rochester, NH
June 2 & 3: Ida: Woman Who Runs With the Moose, The Footlights Theatre, http://www.thefootlightsinfalmouth.com/ 7:30pm, Falmouth, ME
June 9: Book Reading: The Sweet Life, Boothbay Harbor Memorial Library Literary Luncheon, https://bbhlibrary.org/ 11:30am, Boothbay Harbor, ME
July 8: Books in Boothbay: Maine’s Summer Book Fair, Boothbay Railway Village, 9:00am to 1:00pm, Boothbay, ME
July 18: Book Reading: The Sweet Life, Rangeley Public Library, http://rangeleylibrary.org/ 6:00pm, Rangeley, ME
August 5: Ida’s Havin’ a Yard Sale!, Deertrees Theatre, http://www.deertrees-theatre.org/ 7:30pm, Harrison, ME