In spring there is no thought
of being trapped in winter’s guarding case –
attention, rather, focuses
on rising sap, where energy can stretch,
on what was promised
in the fall, and put to sleep,
and now awakens,
discovering its form, its destiny,
its place in time, the season of its place,
and what was sheathed unfurls
in unencumbered grace.

©Wendy Mulhern
April 10, 2023