Now that winter is done with us

On this day last year, I flew to Paris for what was to be the month of a lifetime.  I stayed in our Motherhouse ( of the Daughters of Charity) at 140 rue du bac.  In addition to an eight day international retreat, I spent the other 28 days wandering through the streets of Paris and the art museums and cathedrals, and in the cafes, just generally delighting in it all.  This year I will post some poems and photos which I didn't post last year.

But that starts tomorrow.

Today I continue reading the poems of Gary Blankenburg. His book , Above All Things,arrived two days ago in the mail.
Like me, he is a Septuagenarian.  Like me, he knew Ralph Harper.  Like me, he quotes Saint Augustine -- the very same quotes. 

In most other ways we differ.  However, I am grabbed by his poems.

Here is one that is especially appropriate for this late February day:

Almost Spring

Now that winter is done with us
and bleak February has folded

its terrible gray wings and spring
is verging ---now that the snowbells

have appeared and daffodils
are forcing their way

through the hard earth and will
soon burst -- now will I urge

my dying friend to put his gun away and step with me into the sun

for at least one more time to feel
warmth creep into our bones --

maybe now he will join me for coffee
and cigars on the porch and watch

the birds come to the feeder
and accept the splendor of the seasons

that will unfold forever without us.

by Gary Blankenberg



Whew. 

 

 

Here's who I'm seeing just two feet from me, on my windowsill now:  a Hairy Woodpecker.

Not my photo, but he looks just like this.