The First Green of Spring

Out walking in the swamp picking cowslip, marsh

marigold,

this sweet first green of spring. Now sautéed in a pan

melting

to a deeper green than ever they were alive, this green, 

this life,

harbinger of things to come. Now we sit at the table 

munching

on this message from the dawn which says we and the 

world

are alive again today, and this is the world’s birthday. 

And

even though we know we are growing old, we are dying, 

we

will never be young again, we also know we’re still right 

here

now, today, and, my oh my! don’t these greens taste 

good.

David Budhill, Moment to Moment: Poems of a Mountain Recluse (Copper Canyon Press, 1999)