Questions. And a poem.

Q. Mel, how has it been four days already since your last post?
A. Honestly, I don't know. You'd think I have a life or something. But the last four days have been a little busy.

Q. How was the women's retreat?
A. It was pretty good . . . but they're talking about adding more structure next year. Like a speaker. Which is not cool. But this year was fun . . . we visited a farm where you can buy free range chickens and "happy" meat (meaning animals live contentedly in a pasture until they are slaughtered so we can eat them) and we got to see baby lambs. So cute! I'm only sad we didn't get to see them jump and frolic, which is apparently the cutest thing ever in life. But they were still in the barn and hadn't yet been released to the outdoors. So no frolicking yet.

Q. And the weather?
A. Well, Friday was about the best day ever. It started off cloudy and rainy and foggy, but by lunch time it had turned into this sunny amazing day and it felt like spring for the first time. All the fields around work were golden and the snow was melting. We went to lunch and felt as though we'd been reborn. And the office closed at 2 PM! Then we all went and hung out in a dark smoky bar for three hours.

Q. Have you ever written a poem about spring?
A. Funny you should ask. Here's one I wrote in college. The prof didn't really like it; he preferred darker free verse, and he said I was stretching for the rhymes. I'm not sure about that, but I admit it's not a good poem. It does, however, sum up how I felt that day.


On 31 March 2000

The golden sun is shining warmer
with no direction a wind blows through.
Spring is peeping 'round the corner
like the lamb behind the ewe.

Trees still barren on the hills
dream of buds and summer flower
while crocuses and daffodils
warm themselves through daylight's hours.

Memories of winter dim--
we're twenty-one and young and free
No wonder my soul swells with hymns
and my heart writes poetry.