Fair Weather Friends

In our considered opinion nature has
been inexcusably delinquent for the time
has come and where then is spring? Not
to be recognized in sub-zero nights nor
howling winds and ongoing snowfalls
despite the early burden of snowmelt now
a memory. Returning geese and herons
must surely view the cold with disbelief
and robins bereft of worms all suffer the
fate of early returnees from winter sojourns
in clement southern climes. The forest trees
have refused to leaf despite the rise of sap
from their roots and nowhere can be seen
early wildflowers on the saturated and icy
forest floor. But then another opinion
entirely entered this gloomy scenario when
from high above on winter-naked, spring-
ready branches of a forest tree rang out a
paeon of praise despite the cloudy cold
as a pair of cardinals trilled a chorus of
admiration for tardy spring, a veritable
embroidery of a melody from birds who
had been resident throughout the starkly
inhospitable winter months now pealing a
rhapsodic gratefulness for emerging spring.