Time is moving on

I woke up this morning to the glorious sounds of birds singing, calling to their mates, waking up the world. The sun is out after a day of rain and coldness; a coldness that is a sure sign that fall is rushing in with winter on her heels. Up here it happens quickly just as the summer passes quickly. It seems like only yesterday we were cheering the days when the temperature was rising and we could on the "selected day" (Memorial Day), get out, along with all our neighbors and plant our annual flowers....the ones that would fill our yards with color, so welcomed after the long hard cold white of winter, that last year seemed to never want to end. And it seemed like only yesterday we watched the miracle of nature as the perennials poked their heads through the ground after laying dormant under the blanket of snow. Perennials that once again would turn into beautiful full grown plants....flox in hot pink, purple, brilliant yellow, white.....tiny flowers of blue and gold....all standing straight and vibrant, fully aware of what their mission is...........to remind us that spring is a time of renewal....that no matter how bad things might seem....time does not stand still....things change and if we just hang in there...we will find a smile on our faces again. What a grand lesson nature teaches us with her seasons.

Last year about this time....perhaps a little more into fall....when the leaves were really beginning to change color and the cold breeze left no doubt that summer was well on her way out I looked around at the changing trees in our New England yard and these words came to me....I hope you enjoy them...

PACK UP YOUR THINGS MY LOVELY SUMMER GIRL
FOR SADLY BRIGHT SUNDRESSES NO LONGER FLIT AND FURL
YOU’LL NOW WEAR FROCKS OF GOLD AND RED
ROYAL CRIMSON RIBBONS TIE ROUND YOUR DRYING HEAD
THE DAFFODILS HAVE ALL NOW GONE TO BED….

YOUR HAIR WILL FLIP AND TURN IN THE COLD WIND
AND TO THE GROUND PIECES OF YOUR CROWN YOU’LL SEND
AND WHEN FULL FORCE IS FELT…SOMETIMES YOU’LL BEND
AND YET YOU WILL NOT FALL
FOR WE ARE WATCHING YOU TO SET OUR CLOCK
AS TIME IS MOVING ON….

YOUR ARMS WILL BE COVERED WITH WHITE HEAVINESS
AND YET YOU’LL FEEL NO PAIN
WE CALL YOU BEAUTIFUL, MAGNIFICENT,
AND YET YOU ARE NOT VAIN
YOU WILL LOOK THIN AND WE WILL CALL YOU BARE
OUR HEARTS WILL BREAK FOR WHAT WE THINK… NO LONGER THERE
BUT IN YOUR DEPTHS MUCH LIFE DOES STILL REMAIN
SOON SOME OF YOU WILL GIVE UP SWEETNESS THAT WE DRAIN
YOU ARE A QUEEN AND VERY TALL YOU STAND
YOU ARE OUR HOPE IN WINTER’S WONDERLAND
AS TIME IS MOVING ON…


AND THEN ONE DAY A TINY SIGN WILL SHOW
AND FROM THAT SIGN NEW LIFE SOMEHOW YOU’LL GROW
FROM A TIGHT NUB OF NEWNESS-- OF GREENISH GOLD
FULLNESS WILL SWIRL OUT AND THEN UNFOLD
……..TO FILL YOUR HEAD WITH A NEW RICH CROWN
AND YOU WILL LIFT OUR SPIRITS ONCE AGAIN
SWEET SPRINGTIME RAINS WILL RENEW AND REFRESH
YOU’LL SPREAD YOUR ARMS AND SHOW OFF YOUR GREEN DRESS
AS TIME IS MOVING ON….

BLUE SKIES WILL BE YOUR BACKGROUND
THE SUN WILL MAKE YOU GROW
SWEET GENTLE SUMMER RAINS WILL MOISTEN YOU
AND SET YOUR CROWN AGLOW
YOU’LL SHELTER US FROM BRIGHTNESS
AND COOL US FROM THE HEAT
PROVIDE A PLACE FOR US TO WRITE
AND WE SIT AT YOUR FEET
….AS TIME IS MOVING ON

AS TIME IS MOVING ON, YOU ARE …
THE ONE THAT WE LOOK UP TO
THE TOWERING BEAUTY QUEEN
A STRENGTH ON A COLD NIGHT
A SIGN OF RENEWAL WITH BUT A HINT OF GREEN
A SHELTER TO AN APPLE, A HOME TO A SWEET PEAR
A RAINBOW OF WARM COLORS NO OTHERS CAN COMPARE
YOU’RE ROOTS RUN DEEP AND WHEN WE LOOK AT YOU, WE SEE
THAT MOTHER NATURE BLESSED US,
WITH YOU…MY PRECIOUS TREE.