A poem draft from today

The day to come out

of hibernation is today,

so say the twenty-seven 

turtles resting on the log, all of them sliders

or cooters, just little guys. 

But in the middle of the pond

something large bobs up

and down. “An alligator,” warns

a fellow-walker. Snapping 

turtle is a better guess,

I think. A belted king-

fisher dives and grabs

a snack, a grackle laughs

in the woods, behind me

a rustle—a squirrel 

pops out of a garbage can

with a piece of pizza. Sun-

flower seeds on the ground lay 

ignored. He gobbles the treat, licks

his fingers and disappears back

into the can, fluffy tail a waving

ensign. While he digs, robins inspect
the soil, peck for worms. The kids 

find wood sorrel, lemon-tart. They
startle as a cardinal darts before
them on the path. Overhead

the sky erupts with the electric
roaring of a plane and I—lucky

mother in the world—don’t have to 

wonder whether it carries a bomb
for me. Instead I marvel at redbud trees, so pink against the welkin blue.  

We went to the library this morning and then stopped and played at the park until lunchtime. It was a beautiful day for it! Alexander and Phoebe play so nicely together!