It’s that time of the year again in Orange. A welcomed visitation from a friend that waited patiently upon full-lit suns that bore down upon our heated brow, upon the release of dancing leaves succumbing reluctantly to the breath of a cold wind coming to pass, of frigid numbing snow and ice that stayed too long at the fair. But now, the birth of hope reawakens running through us like a great prophecy of release and civility of gifts of a gentler hand upon us, an understanding friend that consoles us with the caress of warmth and the sweet promise of better days to come.
And if we are open-minded and free-spirited we welcome the metamorphosis before our eyes. Hope abounds as we catch hints of a smile upon more faces, wear somewhat lighter clothing, hear birds whistling in the air, find less traffic jams, develop a more tolerant spirit. Changes are happening throughout the town. It germinates at Wright’s Pond where long-lost seagulls make their grand entrance by gliding en-mass upon the smooth surface of the pond with wings spread wide seeming to announce that it’s OK to go into the water again; where ducks have a grand reunion with each other speaking with great affection of their trip down south and the wonder of their grand-ducklets. Hope abounds at the library with the reincarnation of Daniel Webster overseeing the annual book fairs, where gardening books are sought after like the last tickets of a Met playoff game, where an exhibit of children’s art work christen the walls with the impeccable detail of developing minds and the tender beauty of their souls. Renewal abounds at the Community Center that entices exercisers to venture outside and limber-away in the face of stiff-standing trees that can only watch, in the art classes that paint playgrounds of the mind, in the inner meditations of yoga that embrace its pupils in one mantra. Wonder abounds in the return of the spirit of the horses let loose to frolic and eat lots of hay, in the birth of foals that touch a mare’s heart and settle-in as a lifetime gift of friendship. Renewal abounds in the schools that take children to the heart of a wondrous world to behold at their fingertips, to the fragility of a budding seed that will become a shooting star blossoming all over the place. Peace abounds in the silent reverence of an old cemetery born again with the call of Spring that gently whispers we have not forgotten you, we never will…you are with us always. All life abounds…in the call of “Play Ball”, the sweet return of the robins, the smell of suntan lotion, the outdoor concerts, the blossoming of beauty unspeakable of dogwood trees. And most of all, love abounds in our own hearts that whisper softly…you made it through, you have the gift of another Spring – enjoy.
All Poet Corner articles by John Ulatowski are available in a series of four books entitled “Gentle Perspectives” and are available at the Case Memorial Library.