Close To The Ground

The first to know Spring
must be the animals closest
to the ground, dragging new,
wet earth along in their coats
and bellies.

Animals must know
the muddy feel of the mix
of good and bad, the scent of hope
in the fragrance of warming woods,
green buds and flowers.

They must wonder, watching
us stand timidly at the edge
of land, at our impatience
with the uncertainty of Spring.

They know the pace
of change and have peace,
living in the slower
world, with the uneasiness
of before and the finality
of after.