Bright cold sun of April, the northwest winds

whipping your cheeks red and spreading

the first of the season’s pollen. Shock of yellow

Daffodils holding on through sleet and snow cover

reminders of the coming warmth. You pick handfuls

of stems and spread them on the concrete

leaving trails of green against the composite

like the slick a snail leaves behind.

I love you in your discovery. This new world

you find, this bright cold place you embrace

as only a child could. The sky opens blue

and streaks with robins and you pierce

the noisy silence with your laughter. A temporary

moment I will hold onto forever.