In the early morning
well moistened soil, drunk with snow melt,
brings forth an earthy, intoxicating smell.
It’s a stop-you-in-your-tracks scent
as if the whole neighborhood had become a greenhouse.
This air lures us outside
jackets left on the coat rack with wild abandon
as we step into sun and blue
with a chill in the wind,
but nothing like what we’ve known.
The cool breeze tells of warmth
just around the corner.
And somehow that alone
makes it balmy enough
to walk unburdened by heavy layers.
It’s not yet time for bursts of green and bloom
but the ground shimmers with possibility.
Soon we’ll be dizzy with color
our winter-weary eyes wide
as they adjust to purples, reds, greens, and yellows
after gray-scale months of snow and ice.
Taste the air.
Breathe in the rich scent of fertile ground
and let this good earth speak to you
of peace and Wild belonging.
