until the equinox
makes Spring official
though just two days ago
I was out scraping ice
from off the windshield
brushing off the snow
piled on the hood
and clearing the car windows

But today the air is warm and fragrant
with the smell of new plant life
the pale green willow buds
look ready to unfold
and on the highest branch
of the still leafless maple
a lone cardinal
is loudly giving voice
to his - or is it her?
need for a mate
at least that's how it seems
given the urgency
and insistence of the call

Though I've seen crocuses
braving the cold
that birdsong is I think the surest sign
that winter's lost its grip
here in the hills above
the slow meandering Monongahela