Entering the Season of Leaves

branches are bare no longer, leaves unfurl, and the season's first flower is spotted

Before the wildflowers bloom in abundance, before the leaves unfurl completely and take over their branches, before grasses rise up to sway in the breeze, there is a pocket of time when we sit on the cusp of an explosion.

An explosion of greenery and foliage and flowers waits in the wings — but for now, as we teeter on the edge, magic is found in the smallest of buds, the tiny details of a leaf, and the soft beginnings of ground cover.

Parts of the forest not covered in the green carpets of moss still appear bare, which is but a trick of the eye — one must slow and look at the smaller picture, rather than the scene as a whole.

And there, we’re able to spot all the myriad of things beginning to grow; still in the early stages, for now, but certainly not for long. Spring is a season that embodies and demonstrates change.

As I walk, I gently run my fingers along branches, letting them catch on the delicate new leaves sprouting, allowing myself to feel the world around me as much as witness it.

And though I was not expecting this so soon, I spot my first wildflower; softly pink and unfolding into the gentle spring sun — others are soon to follow.

My feet take me to the edge of a small swampy pond where skunk cabbage dot the still surface with bursts of yellow; not yet exuding their famous skunky smell — but that also won’t be far behind.

And finally, I stop for a few moments at the lake’s edge, watching the ducks dive beneath the water, surfacing again to ruffle and shake their feathers, before they continue the search for good things to eat.

See you next time,

♡ Whitney

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