Winter seems still to grip me and the land
Despite blue skies and scudding clouds
The bright sun seems cold somehow
The daffodils are still flowering and
the Bluebells and the May Tree too
Tulips finally break cover – a hint of blue on the hyacinth
each day brings a tiny change
I am weary of this long winter, my bones ache and crack
As they were frosted twigs
The May Tree blooms regardless of the cold,
Like the birds who take the nesting cue from the lengthening day
But winter clings on, despite the greening of the valley
Cold north winds push the swallows away from their summer barns
Pentecost passes and the fire is cold and distant
