Around March

A Scene on the Table

Water in a thick glass jar
fills the afternoon,
rising quietly
to the brim of my heart.

On the table
a small still life—
and somewhere within it
a breath of my spring
has slipped in.

Stems, bent
and softly refracted,
in their rough green shades
are beautiful,
as though their colour
were dissolving
into the water.

The flowers from **Valentine’s Day**
have not yet faded.
In gentle lavender tones
they lean upon one another,
welcoming the spring.

Yet the tablecloth
that lived through midwinter
still lies here,
and the porcelain snowman candle holder
with its red candle
stands its ground.

As if wondering,
*Will spring come? Will it come?*
we waited day after day—

until suddenly,
like a banana ripened yellow,
spring appears,
bright and cheerful.

I sit down at the table—
a quiet lunchtime
filled with the feeling of spring.

For a moment
the sunlight turns warm;
and even a single spoonful
is enough
to fill my stomach.

Around March,
because I love the spring,
I sit for a long while
simply looking—

at this small scene
resting on the table.

*these are my own paintings *