The first day of Spring draws near, and I just had to submit this little ode to one of the harbingers of Spring, the Skunk Cabbage, as an illustration of the connection between artist and nature.
Ode to Skunk Cabbage
Bursting forth from its ruddy milieu,
it erects from its hooded spathe.
This courageous prophet boldly faces
the chilly air with unique confidence,
guided by a mighty force.
Radiating silently, as if to say,
“Come to me, for I offer
the nourishment you need now,”
his sweetness within calls upon
the daring creature to receive its warmth.
And she responds, and she comes:
the beetle, the spider, the queen bee,
warmed by the generosity
of Spring’s first.
Odiferous, proud, protective,
he inspires the fragrant flora
to engender beauty.
Now, Spring has arrived
with the burgeoning
of the exceptional skunk cabbage.
