Should I be alarmed

To find our daffodils are
suddenly up so early

Japanese maples
already blooming
And the groundcover
breaking open,
nearly everywhere.

In the last day of February
I still think like winter,
eat breakfast
in low light,
wrap myself when I sleep,

ruminate about my depression

Au contraire.

Let me be the first to get up early
And bathe in new light.

Let me be the first to set myself free.

This young maples
arms are either
still or resilient
For the tohees, the junkos and the jays . . .


who are not worried
about when spring is born,
but eat and the fly
whenever they can.

- Dale Zeretske