Melting icicles
The faint warmth of late winter sunshine
Bashful green chicks pecking their way out of the soil’s shell
A chorus of hope after winter’s penetrating chill

The crocus lifts her song into the morning sky
“Is it time?” she seems to cry as she rises from the earth
A tiny splash of color bursting forth on the monochrome canvas

Hearts swell
Faith rises
The winter has taken its toll
But spring is on the way!

The curtains rise on the Midwest drama:
Maple buds murmur
Daffodils dance
Magnolias magnify their music
While the robins resound with reverberant praise

But then …
In the quiet of the morning
It appears in the sky
Glitter?
A flower petal?
A moth?
A snowflake …
And another …
And another …

The expectant earth is covered again
The portrait is erased
The curtain falls as the snow consumes the stage

Second winter descends
The robins retreat
The daffodils droop 
The chill returns

Yet I have hope
Spring is on the way
The performers are backstage
The palette is prepared  
The canvas awaits

Today I am one snowfall closer
… to the delight of the daffodil
… to the robin’s song
… to the warmth of the springtime sun
… to the explosion of color upon the earth
One snowfall closer to the sight of my Savior’s face