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Friday, March 18, 2011

A Much Needed Sigh

Sometimes Spring comes like a sigh. A much-needed sigh. A deep breath expelled quickly, after all that interminable nonsense is finally over. All that cold and dark and greyness. All that closed in-ness, closed off-ness. Spring is remedy. Spring is my open door.

There was just more light today. The second day. Another day walking home without my toque. And there was more noticing too. Looking down, I noticed sounds that I couldn't possibly hear like the imagined melt-water trickling under the ice, under the sunken snowmobile tracks across the river I cross every day. Looking up, I noticed a few billowy clouds too. Clouds that foreshadow rain. But not rainclouds. Just the promise of rain. Just promise.

I didn't know how much I needed this.

I don't kid myself. I live in Northern Canada. It's not spring yet. As the poet says, "spring is like a perhaps hand." Spring is tentative. Especially here. After winter, it's like it has to learn to walk again. It will be a while before it remembers how to run.

But there's enough for me. Today. Enough to get me through this dress rehearsal for the season I long for always most.

And Spring makes me wonder. Will my son and I still make rivers through the slush? Drain the puddles? Build damns? Play? He's probably too old this year. Yes Spring is "arranging and changing placing."

24 comments:

Sultan said...

I have accepted that it will never be warm again.

michael.offworld said...

I need more rehab to recover from the horror of this past winter. Maybe "horror" is a little strong. It really wasn't so bad.

Wait! This must be the thaw.

SherilinR said...

i'm so ready for spring too! but i live in the south of america, so our version of spring is probably a bit different than yours. it was 82 degrees here today & time for some spring planting!
beautifully written piece!

Oilfield Trash said...

Yep spring seems to be finally catching up everywhere. It was almost 85 here in Texas today with a nice breeze. I loved it.

Windsmoke. said...

Here's a spring poem for ya "Spring has sprung, the grass has rizz, i wonder where all the peoples is :-).

Mrs4444 said...

Boys are never to old to play in the mud :)

I enjoyed this thoughtful post. As a Wisconsin resident, I can relate. We tapped our maple trees last week and only got a few days in before the temps climbed so high that the sap stopped running :( I'm sure we haven't see the end of snow, though.

Symdaddy said...

We are already in the wild and wicked throws of spring ... cherry blossom, daffodils, budding bushes and trees, mild, almost warm temperatures.

Winter seems so far away now.

Alittlesprite said...

I always loved that first breath of sweet crisp fresh spring air. :)

triles said...

I haven't done winter for a long time now, but I used to live in Wisconsin, so this post took me back.

Now if you'll excuse me, I need to pick out the t-shirt and shorts I'm going to wear today and sit outside to eat my breakfast.

Al Penwasser said...

While not as warm as in Texas, it was 73 degrees here yesterday. I'll take that anyday.
Plus, we don't have any of that white crap hanging around.
Hang in there-first day of spring is tomorrow!

Nicole Leigh Shaw said...

Gorgeous. I concur. I've been obsessively thinking about spring and it's promises.

Anonymous said...

Happy almost spring, DBS. I love it, too. But even on the nicest day, I harbor in the back of my mind the memory of an April snowstorm and I keep my hats and scarves around just in case. Also, as a good luck charm. If I put them away it will surely snow some more but maybe if I don't.....

Fran Hill said...

I love that 'perhaps hand' quote. Who was that?

Bill Lisleman said...

"toque" sounds so much cooler than socking hat or knit hat - i should start using that term.
So winter learning to run in summer is spring? interesting.

The Defiant Marshmallow said...

This is really nice. It makes me like spring more than I normally do.

But I had to look up the word toque. It sounded familiar, and I was correct in guessing what it was, but I still had to Google it to be sure. I'm going back to remedial Canadian/American translation classes tomorrow.

DB Stewart said...

@LoC I feel for you. You've shared your winter woes and it's made the news here as well. Plus, some friends visited Chicago this winter. Brutal.
@Michael I think it was one of our more difficult winters but not a complete anomaly.
@Sherilin Thank you. *jealous face*
@OT The word "bastard" comes to mind. Just sayin.
@windsmoke Grass. *nostalgic face* (No double meaning intended here.)
@Mrs4444 Thank you and I agree that boys can always play in the mud or as in your family's case, run around the house in the snow.
@Symdaddy Lucky man.
@sprite You experience that in Australia? Cool. (I always think your seasons are quite consistent.)
@Tim I remember from your blog that even you had snow this year!
@AP Thanks.
@Nicole Thank you. We'll get there.
@TheCC Happy almost spring to you too.
@Fran I do too thanks to ee cummings.
@liselman Yes, use it. And yeah maybe I went a little crazy with personification eh?
@DM What did we do before google, eh?

G said...

I love spring, which has just started over here in the UK...

Contrary Guy said...

Searching for the "like" button as much for the writing style as the subject of the post.

Cheeseboy said...

Beautifully written, full of imagery, you've made me more excited for spring than I've ever been. Well, I was already excited.

Shani said...

Pure poetry. I opened all the windows and aired out my house yesterday, and my room still smelled like spring later that night. Ahhh... Also, my dog tracked mud all over the house. Yay spring :)

Antares Cryptos said...

Spring good.
Winter, meh.

Alittlesprite said...

It depends where you live. Towards the centre, the seasons are pretty much the same, except for the wet season. Along the coast and mountainous regions we have definate summer, autumn, winter, spring. It even snows down south, but not in Queensland.

Teachinfourth said...

I can see the light at the end of the snow tunnel...

Mrs. Tuna said...

I hate snow and cold. I would rather face 115 degrees than 35 degrees any day.

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