Slept with open windows
and woke to a bird choir
with an upbeat tempo. 
Excitement over the
prospect of fat earthworms
and tender seeds
resounding in their song.
Hint of sea salt in the air.
Umbrella fluttering over
the table on the deck.
Honeybees buzzing in
the lilac bush, anticipating
the delight of nectar.
But it’s the Fiddlehead Fern
that projects optimism
over and above all else.
For three short weeks in May
and never more, they nod
their heads and curl their tips
and send the message
that Spring is really,
finally, truly here.