Spring Forward

Tonight: we will turn our clocks forward here in western Pennsylvania.

We remember what to do by recalling this little saying,

“Spring Forward; Fall Back.”  

Turning the clock forward by one hour gives us such a different perception of time and  season.   

Spring is nearly here. 

 We had a snowstorm just 3 days ago. That snow quickly melted because the temperature was warm. A few patches of that crystal coldness are still here this morning. Soon, little purple and yellow crocuses will be pushing through the layers damp winter grass, last fall’s dry leaves, and the delicate white patches  of slowly melting snow.

            A magnificent, stately Maple tree stands just beyond the window in my office, looking towards the  west. Bob and I planted that tree when we moved to this house in 1967.

It was a small sapling at that time, forty-six years ago. Today, it is still bare and dark against the bright blue morning sky. In a few more weeks the delicate green leaves will begin to burst out from those dark gray branches. You can set your clock by it – it happens just that way every year when winter transitions into spring.

This week, I found a poem  I wrote in 2004. This poem is written in the Japanese  Haiku form. A Haiku has three lines, and traditionally it will have a reference to a season.

Spring Haiku

Bright saffron flowers

disrupted crystal blankets 

to announce, "It's Spring!"

Lynda McKinney Lambert. Copyright, 2004. All Rights Reserved.