Backyard

In the past seven days the weather broke loose with a heat wave. All that melted snow turned into a bog and, most recently, a green-scape.

With four weeks left of my Spring semester classes, I took my textbook outside last night. Leafed through the pages, crunched numbers into my calculator, and nursed a beer on the back deck. Naomi played with the neighbor girls in the yard.

By any measure, it's been a grueling winter. Years ago I read some lines about how winter inspires you to remember the tune your bones play. Mark Strand, maybe? Anyway, it's an image that arrived with the snow and sat on my chest all winter long.

It's nice to feel things lift. The welcome chatter with my neighbors. I marked a moment feeling grateful last night for the pleasant feel of bare feet, the bright sun, and the color green.


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Yes, I'm that geeky...but...it bothered me to spend a whole winter plagued by an image but not be able to place it in a fuller context. The tune your bones play comes from this poem by Mark Strand. Whew, I feel better now. Thanks.