Spring For a Prairie Child

The sun’s rays are pouring down.  Warm breezes blow against my face, tossing my hair into my eyes.  I run down to the east corner of the house, and look out across the prairies.

The winter has been long, the snow piled high.  None left now, well, almost none.  A few traces remain under the dense lilac bush which guards that house corner.  Spring is here, it really is.  A meadowlark sits on a fence post singing its heart out.  The smells, the sounds, the sights – I am so happy.    

Decades later, remembering the springs of my childhood, I try to recapture my feelings…

Outside to play, the
    breezes gentle and warm.
A bird sings, the first meadowlark recital.
Fuzzy-stemmed crocuses poke through
    dead prairie grass.
They call, “See us, we’re here, it’s spring”.
That shrill squeaky call, where is he?
Over there,
    poking his head out of his hole.
A gopher is awake.
From under the porch – loud metallic chirping –
    crickets are waking up too.
Down in the gully the creek is running full, tumbling over rocks in its
    haste to reach the pond.
Bushes sport spring coats of yellow green.
A breeze carries the faint tantalizing
    perfume of the wolf willow.
Spring is really here.

Oddly, some things do not change.  Springs continue to arrive, and with their arrival I revert to my childhood.  I need to get outside, to wear brightly coloured clothes, to count the birds and wonder at the blooming flowers.  My spirits rise.  This will be a good day, and I am happy.

This particular spring had a special charm.  On February 13, 2013 our clan was increased by the birth of a baby girl.  A much wanted, much loved addition to a family of three: Mother, Father, and a seven-year-old brother, Alexander.  To top it off, she was named Persephone. 

In case your Greek mythology is a bit sketchy, Persephone has a close connection to spring.  The myth told about her was the attempt of the ancients to explain why there was a season when things were dormant, and a season when everything came to life again.  What better name for a spring baby!

Persephone – you are at the starting gate of life’s race.

On your mark.   Get Set.    GO…..