Spring comes in a creeping, tentative way
One day you might be outside
And realize that you are entirely too warm in a jacket
And that the birds are singing too loudly
The bugs have emerged from their lairs
And there is no frost on the peak of your roof

Or, walking your dog down the street,
You notice the neighbor’s arthritic old cat
Lying on its porch enjoying the sun
And your dog, instead of shivering and continuing its
Trudging down the sidewalk, begins to bay like a hunting hound
And attempts in vain to give chase

In school, the teachers are plagued with questions of
“How long until spring break?”, then
“How long ‘till summer break?”
The air gets warmer and crocuses bloom,
Dark purple and sunny yellow, contrasting perfectly

The sun stays a little longer each day
And sometimes when you go outside you smell barbeques going,
The smell of smoke adding to the serenity that good weather brings
Then the official first day of spring happens
And even without the calendars to tell them
The whole country seems to know