Is it Spring Yet? by Nancy M Bell

Is it Spring yet? I know, I know, it's only mid-January. But Winter Solstice, Alban Arthuran, has passed and the days are becoming longer with each sunrise and sunset. In some places the snow drops and crocus are thinking about waking up. Not here on the Alberta prairies though. Still, the sun is shining and I want to think about Spring today. The renewal of the season always gets my blood stirring and creative juices churning. I thought I would share a poem with you that came about one April morning when I was walking the dogs. I hope you like it.

April Earth

I saw the Earth breathe today
A pale pearl vapour rising from the plowed field
She exhaled as the east wind billowed
Her flowing breath across the raw mud

Shimmering in the April afternoon sun
Her breath shed diamonds as it hung
Above the snowy prairie

The Earth’s cold wintry breath
Mating with the warm spring sun
Birthing the moist mist dancing
In the strength of the moving air

The Raven’s shadow flashes across the snow
As he flies over head borne on April’s breath

*********


I came across another one that seemed fitting while I was looking for April Earth. This one is called February's Breath

************

February’s Breath

February’s breath is caught
In the blue embrace of strengthening sky and sun
The fairy filigree of the tree’s breath
Clings to their delicate fingers in frosty stillness

The exhalations of the earth and her children
Hang manifest in the blue silver air of early morning
Argent mist connecting field and sky
And binding all between them

The sky and wind reclaim the moisture
They lent to the earth in return
For the perfumes and bright colours
Of the prairie flowers and the dancing grain
Earth’s children who partner the wind in summer’s waltz

Here it begins in the chill breath of February
Bound beneath the iron frost and silent snow
The cold mist of earth reaches for the southern sun
Hanging in pearlescent drifts over the crystal snow

Voices whispering among the dry grasses
Soft sigh of the drifting snow
where the wind sifts it like sugar
sacred geometry figures fleeting over snowy crust
February’s breath pregnant with the promise of spring

*********

I hope you enjoy them. Below are a few pictures of my beloved prairies. The building is the East Longview Hall for those of you have read Christmas Storm, this is where Cale and Michelle attend the Travelling Mabels concert when Mary swipes Michelle's truck so she'll have to ride home with Cale. The rainbow was taken after a Travelling Mabels concert driving up the Cowboy Trail (Highway 22) toward Cochrane. It was a beautiful ending to a great day and I just wanted to share it with you. The sunset is a Chinook sunset, the frosty prairie is what it looks like here right now.

You can visit me at Books We Love, on my webpage, or my blog. There are links to my books on the Books We Love site. Til next month, take care. May the wind be always at your back and may you be in heaven an hour before the Devil knows you're dead. Saliante