The First Petals of Spring

I'm not sure what kind of flower this is; no foliage but they caught my eye like a splash of sunbeams on a dreary land...they look like a dandelion at first glance but up close were quite different;-)

Those first petals are like medals on spring’s tattered attire

A kiss to weathered-beaten heath igniting hope’s desire

A grin akin to celebration buoys our step

Where first petals anoint the grave of winter’s waning tread

Those first petals assure us of earth’s ripe and ready room

As violet-dappled ditches spawn a season of new bloom

And we are drawn like beggars to drink its fragrance face-first

As hallelujahs flow from realms that long seemed winter-cursed

Those first petals are loveliest; a splash of modest mirth

If compared to gaudier plumes waiting within the earth

But they can never render what these fairest firstlings bring

And none are praised or lauded like the first petals of spring

© Janet Martin 

Their names may vary, depending on where they live but their popularity is universal and much celebrated...those first petals of spring!