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