March 17: St. Patrick's Day

Green buried under snow,

and any serpents

are hibernating.

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July 24: Woodstock, VT

One farm to the next

we drive through green valleys

following the river

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July 2: Backyard, Summer

The backyard is rich--

unmown, thick with ferns, daisies,

loaded with green stuff.

 

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June 1: Lush

June arrives at last--
a wet green tent of leaves
and irises blooming.

April 27: First greens

Bright green sprouting chives--

not surprised the restless cat

wants to graze on them.

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May 30: Maple leaves like fat green hands

Warbler sings unseen
from behind the screen of leaves.
I've waited for this.

May 27: Rain again

In this greener world

it's easier to bear

more rain. 

May 14: Leafing out

Backyard maple leaves unfurl,
hands opening
to offer spring's blessings.

May 13: Kale popcorn

Can't get enough kale popcorn--

guess I'm still starved

for spring greenery.

 

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April 29: Chives

Shoots so green
I want to eat them like grass--
fresh spring chives.

May 24: Continuing rain

A curtain of water makes more vivid the green tapestry of the spring trees. Clouds and mist soften the contours of the landscape, create a background of grey and white against which the trees shine even more brightly. A stand of beech trees, waving chartreuse leaves larger than hands, is almost psychedelic in the fog. Birds are hard to spot in this weather--who has the patience to stand long in the rain, vision obscured by water dripping on binoculars?--but still they sing. Dry inside, I listen to hear them over the rain.

Rain drips off the roof,
its rhythm punctuating
robin's late day song.

January 11: Green

Maybe it's being surrounded all day long by the snow and bare branches, maybe I need more vegetables in my diet, but whatever the reason, I've been craving particular shades of green lately. Friends in Georgia reported seeing a female Painted Bunting, which, unlike the gaudy male, sports a range of plumage tending to lime green. I felt such envy and longing upon hearing about it.

Female Painted Bunting.
Photo by Dan Pancamo, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons

Thinking about female Painted Buntings reminded me of how much I like Chestnut-sided Warblers in fall plumage. Normally very bright birds, with a chestnut streak on the flank, a black-and-white facial pattern, and a gold crown, in fall they're a much more subtle but very distinctive shade of green:

Chestnut-sided Warbler by Louis Agassiz Fuertes, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.
From bottom to top: fall adult; first year male; spring male.

Then this afternoon a friend birding in Mexico shared a photograph of a Slaty Vireo, a bird I now would love to see in real life. This painting doesn't do justice to the beautiful contrast of the green and gray plumage:

Slaty Vireo, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.

My eyes must crave citrus and lime. Alas, there are no budding spring leaves unfurling anywhere nearby, no female buntings kicking around. So, short of wearing my favorite green sweater, I think the best I can do to satisfy this need is to either make myself a cocktail with a lime garnish or start planning our trip to Florida in March. Or both.

Only January
and already my eyes seek
the greens of spring.

April 23: New leaves in the rain

Over the weekend when we were checking out the shops of Portsmouth, I found myself drawn over and over to green things: a sage green fleece, a leaf green tee shirt, a chartreuse cardigan, a necklace of green leaves with little pearl flowers. This morning I was moved to wear an uncharacteristically bold (for me) print dress of big green and brown flowers and leaves. When I looked out the rain-streaked window, I realized what was going on. Along the river, shining in the rain, the popples and maples unfurl their bright green leaves. And I'm trying to wear them! Perhaps that's my way of taking on some of that renewing energy--"that force that through the green fuse drives the flower," to quote poet Dylan Thomas.

I want to be spring--
that neon green of new leaves,
hair washed clean by rain.