March 04 2008

Text By Jamelah

The final lines of the poem "A Blessing" by James Wright go like this:

Suddenly I realize
That if I stepped out of my body I would break
Into blossom

And they perfectly sum up what spring is all about. After months of the muted grey hush of winter -- the nearly-silent whisper of snowfall, the scarves, the mittens, the hats, the chattering teeth, the doubtful squinting at the sky and searching for a hint of sun -- spring bubbles forth in a joyful fizz of color and light.

One senses that this tree has been waiting patiently for the moment when it could adorn its chaotic tangle of branches with the most delicate buds and blooms. It has held on through the necessary decorum of winter, biding its time until finally it could break into the wild pattern of this tiny riot, unable to contain itself any longer.