SPRING COMES SLOWLY

Spring comes slowly in these parts ~

           Like an old woman in the produce aisle,

           hungry for new asparagus and fiddleheads

           suspicious of bright strawberries

           too soon, too soon

Spring comes slowly in these parts ~

           Like an old dog  in the morning,

           the scent of night’s rain

            not yet enough to tease him

            from his place by the woodstove

            not yet, not yet

Spring comes slowly in these parts ~

           Like bare trees with empty nests:

            where are nature’s signs?

            “Vacancy”

            “To Let”

            “Coming Soon”

Spring comes slowly in these parts ~

           Sepia-toned,

           a photograph of the old summer place

           that was taken back before the war,

                   before the war,

                    before

Spring comes slowly in these parts ~

           A lone woman walks with a dog

            towards the shore along a muddy path,

            past where the old summer place used to be,

            looking for signs of Spring.

             but Spring comes slowly  in these parts,

                          Spring comes slowly to these hearts. 

Nancy Duffy