Monday, April 27, 2015

Spring Around Us


Puddles of water from Saturday's cold storms 
remained on the sidewalks when I walked 
to the store Sunday morning. 
Here, one of last summer's hydrangeas had been 
blown into one of those puddles.
Barely more than a wisp of its former self, 
the dried flowers served as both 
a reminder of past beauties and 
the promise of more to come.

Sunday, April 26, 2015

Earth Day Dawned ...


... Not bright and clear, but with cold rain whipped 
by gusts of wind and thunder.
I went to swim practice this morning,
my new blue training fins sticking out from
a pocket on my backpack.
The irony was not lost on me --
that I should huddle and cringe from the rain,
all the while looking forward to jumping
into a pool full of coolish water.
There, I would relish the feel of my body
pushing through the clear liquid,
knowing that later I would stand, stolid
and miserable under my umbrella,
as I waited for the bus to return home.



Monday, April 20, 2015

Morning Light and Mini-Bulbs


Saturday morning, I left for swim practice
at my usual hour. It wasn't until I was downtown
that I realized I'd left an hour early.
Damn.


But the light was beautiful.
After nursing a chai latte at Starbucks,
I hefted my backpack onto my shoulders
to take a walk around the Circle.


I found myself caught up in the crooked-y stance
the trees make against the more strict lines
of the buildings and grids.
And the colors! The new green of the budding
leaves made a lacy aura on some trees, 
while a mossy green patina shaded others.
Then the mini-lights accented the figures of others,
shapes that at night provide twinkly beauty,
as well a sense of security to walkers.



Sunday, April 19, 2015

Rainy in Speedway


I walked over to the grocery late this morning. 
It was overcast with light showers then.
When I left the store heavy showers drenched 
the neighborhood. Rain ran down the sides of the bus stop 
where I took the first picture, and added strings 
of crystal pendants to the benches.


Thursday, April 16, 2015

Satiny Pink Gowns and Fuzzy Sweaters


No sooner than they bloom, a breeze come in 
to whip the magnolias' petals away, 
creating a wet matted carpet below their parent
tree. Maybe it's so the redbuds won't
have to share the glory.


It's time for those trees to don 
their fuzzy pink sweaters,
astonishing us with their floret cuteness.


Friday, April 10, 2015

Before the Rust Appears


April has entered, as promised by the adage, 
with showers. Heavy rains have grayed the skies 
all around, creating a backdrop for the newly 
bloomed daffodils, jonquils, and -- dare I say it?
dandelions. Better yet, the magnolias have
shed their little velvet sweaters and
are starting to bloom delicate shades of mauve.
I got these pictures just after the flowers
had opened, and well before chilly spring winds 
whip the flowers into a frenzy, coating the 
petals with rust-colored tears.


Monday, April 6, 2015

Bleh.


April has so far been cold and chilly, 
with icy showers that knocked down daffodils' 
efforts to show off  their blooms.
The people of Indiana rose up in furor this past
week, when the Governor, a man who achieved the
office with backing from a narrow segment
of the state's population, radically conservative
and hell-bent on bending the state government
to suit their interpretation(s) 
of the Bible -- never mind the ol' "separation 
of church and state" bugaboo. 
Last year, the state legislators' efforts to enact
a ban on same-sex marriages was knocked down
by the Supreme Court. In a snit of revenge, 
couple of those legislators wrote what is commonly called
widely regarded as an effort to allow discrimination
on grounds of "religious conviction" against
members of the LBGT community.
Thirty legal professors told him it was a bad law.
 Several state corporations advised him that, never mind
just doing business, they would have difficulty 
recruiting the best people for their businesses. 
Travel and tourism would suffer. 
Saying it was "no different" than a similar federal law 
passed in 1993, Pence insisted he would sign it. And did.
With the NCAA Final Four basketball tourney
being held in Indianapolis this year, the commercial 
gloss was off the prestige of that event, and eyes were
focused instead on the efforts of a minority
of tawdry folks who want to keep us all mired in
their prejudices and fears. 


After days of bad press and downright acrimony, 
Pence finally got the message and requested 
that the law be fixed. A patch was written and passed
before the week was up. The governor had acted
solely for benefit of the small-minded constituency
he was used to serving as a Senator, and suffered the
outrage of a more reasonable, tolerant, and practical 
general population. He signed the paper. 
Then left town.
With the promise of some wonderful college
basketball to be played here, he decided he needed
to take care of some business in Europe.