Tag: Spring

Almost April

Almost April — there is a moment just before spring fully arrives,​ ​​
when nothing seems to have changed, ​​​
and yet, everything has already begun.​​​
​​​
Almost April
​​​
when crocuses,​​​
aconites​​​
speckle colors​​​
on frigid earth,​​​
and buried bulbs unfurl​​​
their green fingers —​​​
​​​
Somewhere​​​
a cold cauldron sits​​​
atop a flame,​​​
warmth simmers:​​​
imperceptible​​​
as approaching dawn.​​​
​​​
Almost morning:​​​
​​​
when softest tones tiptoe​​​
through purple darkness,​​​
and wakening lark arises​​​
in radiant song,​​​
ruptures​​​
daybreak deafness.​​​
​​​
Almost laughter

— D. G. Vachal​​​
​​​
​This poem is from my collection​​​
The Turning of Light
a book that follows the quiet unfolding​​​
of the seasons within and around us.​​​
​​​
If you’d like to explore the full collection:​​​

The Turning of Light
​​​
Image (public domain): William J. Forsyth (American, 1854–1935), Crocuses, oil on canvas.​

“Petals Under Moonlight”



Petals Under Moonlight

Petals under moonlight
on a night when the month of May
is blooming:
owls play their piccolos
upon the branches,
crickets, their castanets
upon the watery grass —

Rejoice
in the muted colors of the petals,
foliage,
sepals,
beneath the cloak of temporal
greyness —

When daylight alights,
the greening of things
innumerable will blaze
across the fields of this fertile
continent,
drenched in the early rain,
warmed by the beams of the morning
sunlight.

D. G. Vachal © 2013, 2025

Photo Credit: Richard Thripp