May 1, 2012

After a long night, the morning, sometimes I am really glad to see the morning, and this morning is caught between sun and shadow.  There might have been thunder, or a distant jet making a sonic boom, or some other loud thunder-like noise, like one of the plants blowing up.  However, since there was no siren, I suppose it wasn't that.  The sky has that on the cusp look, clouded over in thick and thin gray, yet looking like there could be sunlight any moment.  And I am waiting for it.  I asked Mikayla when she came in from outside if it were sprinkling because the leaves had that twitchy look as if rain drops were striking them, but she said no so it must be the difficult breeze that's moving them.

The first of May today, Mayday, I remember when we were little and going to parochial school this would be the day to crown the statue of the Virgin Mary with chaplets of flowers.  If you think about it, it was really a very pagan thing to do, celebrating spring in that way.  I'm not sure why in Russia it seemed it was the day to have martial parades and display soldiers and missiles and other implements of war.  It's also International Workers Day, and there will be demonstrations and speeches, but what won't be mentioned is all the unpaid work done in the world, work for families, volunteers at hospitals and hospices, work given for love not money.

I found a haiku series about the seasons with some new images in it.  Here is the spring portion of it . . .

Haiku Journey

 

         i. Spring

the tips of each pine

the spikes of telephone poles

hold gathering crows

may’s errant mustard

spreads wild across paved road

look both ways

roadside treble cleft

feeding gopher, paws to mouth

cheeks puffed with music

yesterday’s spring wind

ruffling the grey tips of fur

rabbit dandelion

 Kimberly Blaeser

And for our yard this morning:

Sun breaking through cloud
scatters a spangle of gold
over thinning grass

Distant muffled roar
slow thunder, a jet screaming,
I still can't decide

Squirrel with full cheeks
making a dash for its stash
doesn't scold the cat

The yard is mix of sun and shadow that goes in and out like a faulty flashlight, now darkened, now bright.  A perfect reflection of how I feel this morning, an even mix of moods.  It's been quiet, the birds for some reason absent, even in the sun.  There is still the breeze shaking things up, and the white and green flags of the cane rustling.  The cat is padding along the edge of the cane, back and forth, pacing, waiting for something to show itself, waiting for something hidden in the shadows there.  The day moves on, the morning mostly gone, more blue now, more sun, heating up the air, maybe storms later.