A nod to nature's tug-of-war aka April...
The first week of April has flooded us with rain,
frosted us with snow
and favoured us with sunshine!
This German saying sums April up in seven words!
“April, April, der macht was er will”
Translation; April, April, you do what you will
A few April frames from the first eight days...
The wind wafts, warm, through open pane and ushers in a scent of rain-
drenched grass and trees; where little lakes embellish the sodden landscape
and ditches gush and overflow with runoff from the melted snow
And robins fat with sass and cheer proclaim that spring and worms are here
The gale howls, cold, laden with sleet that pelts on windowpane and street
And decks yesterday's barren sweeps with tardy tantrums winter keeps
To vex hope's sanguine eagerness, and deck the boughs of barren tress
With a fresh coat of 'the white stuff' while birds curl into balls of fluff
The breeze banters, and birdsong swells with the gladness of Christmas bells
As hints of green begin to seep through thatch-hued pastures, half asleep
Where the ballad of hurried brook draws us toward its curve and crook
For pleasure in simplicities like picnic lunch of bread and cheese
The zesty zephyr's charm and cheek rouses strange rounds of hide and seek
We zip up coats, then take them off; the shade is cold, the sun is hot
One day we work outdoors, the next our list of chores is weather-vexed
So we put on the kettle then tackle our indoor tasks again
The sunrise is a treat for all who heed dawn's early wake up call
The south deck, on a sunny day affords a tropic getaway
Surely even the Grinch is drawn to turn a cartwheel on the lawn
As bulbs burst with first, favourite frills of crocuses and daffodils
Hello and hail the yellow land and smile, sweet pale face soon sun-tanned
Come, clap your hands and do not fret when the forecast is cold and wet
For we've known April long enough to expect both genteel and gruff
One day a wild cat's flying fur, the next a pussy-willow's purr
April, you are one of a kind; a woman, apt to change her mind
A school boy full of countless pranks, a kiss that kindles kindest thanks
A vault of unplumbed green and gold each drop of rain helps to unfold
While patience is put to the test, while we wait out spring's yearly jest
The welkin clock that dwindles down life's pittance of laughter and frown
Will melt lament's prevailing cause with phrases like 'winter that was'
For always, April seems to find a foothold in lanes flower-lined
Reviving dell and garden plot with violet and forget-me-not
Janet Martin
