Spring Flyers

Two Writing Teachers brings us the Slice of Life Challenge for March.  This is #19.  Thank you for all the inspiration and opportunities!

(My post a few days ago - the jealousy post - kept nagging at me.  I had good thoughts for that at one time; they had to do with the signs of spring that I can see.  I think this was it:)

Signs of spring?
In Maine, there are none to be seen outside except maybe the longer days.  We are still deep in snow.  It is still cold.  I need boots, winter coat, etc.  I still keep extra warm stuff in the backseat in case the car breaks down on the side of the road.  It will be a cold wait for help, or a cold walk to anywhere, so we still have emergency stuff in our cars.

But our mailbox has delivered signs of spring!

We got our hardware store flyer in the mail, and there are rakes on sale (and NOT roof rakes for the snow).  These would be the ones for raking up those dead leaves you missed in the fall.  They would be for the clumps of grass and rock that the plow has deposited on your yard.   They have lawn mowers and garden hoses.  They have bags of grass seed and lime, and seed packets.  You can even get leaf blowers, grills, coolers, and wheelbarrows.

The farm store has chicks ready for ordering.   It has wagons for pulling loads of mulch and other stuff around your estate. I didn't see a single snow shovel, generator, roof ice pucks, sled or bag of ice melt.

The fabric store is blossoming, too - all the floral fabrics are out, plastered on the cover and throughout the flyer.  There are lightweight fabrics, gardening tools, birdhouses, garden gloves, watering cans, pastel floral arrangements, pastel ribbons and butterfly wind chimes.  There is not a snowman, snowflake, star, or white flecked tree to be found.

The clothing catalog is sporting flip flops, tank tops and tee shirts.  There are rain boots, shorts and caps.  Stored away until mid-summer flyers are the boots, sweatshirts, snow boots,snow pants, mittens, and hats with fur lined ear flaps!

So there are definitely signs of spring that surround me, but none of them quite work for me yet.  When I see less white than brown, less ice than mud, more sun; when I see the only the tall black-brown covered pile of snow the plow placed skyhigh in the grocery store parking lot - then, and only then, will I declare it spring.  Everything else is just forced - like forcing a bulb to bloom on your counter in the dead of winter.  It does not make it spring.  I don't care what the calendar says.

It is not spring here yet.  Thanks for trying.
I remember the blizzard we got on April Fools Day, I remember the snow in June once... When I see all the pictures of blossoms and green happening elsewhere, I wonder about my choice of habitat.
I like snow, but really?
That green is starting to make me a tad jealous....or is that yearning I'm feeling?

Spring Timer

the earth is covered in white frozen shiny snow

where are those small bits that come up

through the dead brown wet mushy 

grass that is not dead either but 

only acts like it is and how 

can it not be dead in all

this cold deep freeze

oh it looks dead

it acts dead

until

it

isn't

anymore and

it starts to shimmer

and glimmer in a green

sequined vest and glorious

purple, pink, yellow, red hats

and they begin their dance in the

breezes sometimes colder than we think

they should get but they just wink and smile

and keep dancing to the stunning concert of birds

by Donna JT Smith