Poem of the Month: March 2004

Always in March

I am greedy for color.
The bleached bones
of bare winter trees
stand out against the
pale flesh of sky like
raised trails of parasites
showing no promise,
yet, of green, of life,
of movement beneath.

After days of warmth
faint and ominous
as low grade fever
I am ready for the
ruby bloom of full
spring days, ready to
drop this heavy coat of idleness,
this thick blanket of inactivity.
Always in March
I give myself over freely
to minor rises in temperature,
look everywhere for tiny shoots
of crocus and iris, listen
for the tiny bells of lilies,
grasp for the patience to wait
for the fullness of what is to come.

- Amy Christman

Journal prompts:

• Write a journal entry which finishes this sentence: I am ready for...
  
  
• What are the signs of Spring you wait for every year?
  
  
• Write about patience. How is it a part of your life? Are you a good "waiter?"