The bradford pears and the redbuds
bloomed early this year.
I don’t know if there is any significance
to this phenomenon,
but it has left me feeling off kilter.
In springs past, when I finally spot
the redbuds blooming on their black branches,
it meant the long dark of winter had passed;
that I could breathe deep the sun
that floods my cells with vitamin d.
But now, with early blooms being ripped
from bending, swaying branches, I feel gutted –
not knowing if it is time to breathe
or if I still need to hide in layers of
wool and thick cotton.
Sarah Stoltzfus Allen 