Cornucopia: National Poetry Month (1)

Vernal Equinox

By Kate Chamberlin

Vernal equinox, the scents of spring,

two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator,

day and night are of equal length.

Listen to the plunkity plunk thunk of the melting snow in the gutter,

Many twitter-patered little birds in the pines, and A cacophony of frogs in the bog.

Smell the pungent odor of the emerging Crown Imperial Frittalaria,

Ozone left by the lightning, and earthiness of the damp loam.

Welcome the balmy, though still cool, breeze on your face,

The ooze of mud between your bare toes and stepping out of the house without a jacket.

Surely, you can see the willows yellowing and the Autumn Blaze buds swelling,

Not to mention, the white Snowdrops and lavender croci poking through the leaf mold.

The smoky taste of finger licking good chicken barbecued on the patio grill, freshly picked early peas, and plump, juicy strawberries are just around the corner.

The astrological Vernal equinox,

two moments in the year when the Sun is exactly above the Equator will continue,

But will climate change enable the scents of Spring to continue?