New Year’s Day
down by the river.
A picnic, and watching
water move in soft ripples

Summer clothes pulled from
plastic boxes, and worn on
this sunny sixty eight degree day.
Bare feet run on a sandy playground.

Children riding their Christmas
bikes in short sleeve t-shirts.
Chrome on a new metal mechanism
bounces blinding streaks of sun.

A day for breathing blends of
yellow grass and river water.
Healing from sharp stabs of winter.
Pretending it’s spring.

We sit on the park bench after lunch
and stare out into the broad expanse
of glassy reflections.
We feel romance, comfort and trust.

The warm weather won‘t last long.
So, we’ll look forward to the next time
spring comes to visit a winter day,
until the real spring blossoms in full.