Posted on by Christi Craig

I’m ready.

For all sorts of reasons, this time of year points to new beginnings. After a long, drawn out winter, I say, yeah. It’s about time.

I took a long walk with a friend today, and we passed by tiny purple flowers pushing through last year’s lawns. We saw daffodils and the beginnings of tulips, too, but the purple flowers held my attention. One bloom by itself did little to change the landscape; clustered together, though, they whispered a promise.

Wood Violet Petals 10

I can’t wait.

Lately, I’ve been behaving like a madwoman, cleaning out drawers and clearing out space and rearranging furniture in the house, perhaps making way for this new energy.

And, while this post speaks of “new,” I’m re-posting something old, a Wednesday’s Word poem written around this time last year, because it too says, Hey. Get up. Get a move on.

Shake it off and look around….

Wake Up.

I am nudged awake
By the snout
Of my black lab.
Whose chin,
Wet from her morning drink,
Shocks me
And ensures
I don’t drop off
To sleep again.

She demands her walk.

Eyes barely open,
I slip into last night’s jeans,
A crumpled shirt, my crocks.
And, I turn to see
She’s holding the leash
In her mouth-
A sign that I
Am moving
Too slow.

“It’s early yet,”
I whisper,
And, I hope
For a quiet walk.
But my sleek, dark friend
Has a different plan,
And she pulls me
Through a cacophony
Of music.

The sounds of a city revving up its day.

Squeaky brakes from a bus
Pitch an off-key tune,
And a jackhammer down the block
Sets the beat.
Bada-dum.
Bada-dum.
Bada-dum.
I am pulled by my dog
‘Til my pace falls in line.

I hear sounds from the left
And noise from the right
Like instruments, I think,
And I swear
People are hiding
In alleys,
With cymbals
And triangles
And maybe a wood block.

They play a song
Of the city
Coming alive.
A tune
That celebrates.
Invigorates,
And culminates
When we reach
The fountain.

She stops,
My four-legged guide,
And looks right at me
With a grin. She’s sly.
I cock my head.
The water rises and falls
Like the sound of applause
From an audience, unseen.
~
What new things are coming to life in your part of town?

10 Replies to “I’m ready.”

  2. I remember that poem and loved reading it again. I like how you take “annoying” sounds and make them into music.

    I’m feeling energized too. My roses are going crazy and our neighbor’s yard is bursting with California poppies and Iris.

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  4. I like the poem and the purple flowers, Christi. What’s new here? The mornings are finally warm enough that I am once again getting up at sunrise, taking a quick shower while coffee brews, and dashing out to the bench outside to relax in the breeze and listen with eager ear to the mockingbirds sing.

    1. Carol, I’m envious! I love those moments of just sitting outside, and listening. For me, right now, the comparative is hearing the birds outside the window early in the morning. I’m still wearing sweaters, but I’m soaking in the sounds through the glass panes!

  5. Ahhh, your post and the poem you included are the prefect reminders of how much I love the energies and full promise of spring!

    Thanks, Christi. Have a wonderful day.

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