Spring in Verses

I don't mean to look a gift horse in the mouth and complain about nice weather, but it's pretty annoying when all the weather sites I check (and I have to check 2 or 3 because this seems to happen to me consistently) and I left the house with an overcoat and rain boots, only for it to be warm (even hot!) and sunny all day long. So beautiful a day (and I get off early on Mondays) that I raced home to chuck the jacket and change into flats, and emerged from my building a lighter and happier person.

I walked around the neighborhood, did mindless shopping along the sunny avenues and enjoyed the crowds of people all equally satisfied with the sun. Last stop was Starbucks for a chai tea. I took it outside to one of the benches in the center divider of Broadway in front of blooming orange and yellow tulips, and pulled out my book. I sat on the wooden bench on the cobblestone island while taxis and tourists passed by at every changing light. I was so content to be there inbetween the towering, multi-colored brick buildings with their fire escape fronts and read and sip warm chai until the inevitable graying of the sky and winds made my hair whip in front of my face until I couldn't see the pages.

A friend of mine and I take turns sending each other pictures, and it feels like a location game. You have to send one back right away, wherever you are. This happened while I was out there, and since I was sandwiched between others on the benches I was really self conscious taking this picture, this was my non-chalant attempt to not look like I was doing, exactly what I was doing.



In German class in college we read the libretto of an opera, including a very powerful song about Fruehling... aka spring. I didn't pretend to really "get it" then, but I do realize I've never appreciated or understood springtime for what it is revered as... as a saving grace, a renewed power of hope in the northern world. I get it a little more now than I did then. "Spring in Verses, and Verses in Spring" -Violet Gartenlicht