Poems for Spring

From the Sonnets of Antonio Vivaldi

Spring (Concerto No. 1 in E major)

Allegro

Spring has come with joy
Welcomed by birds with joyous songs,
And the streams, amid gentle breezes,
Whisper softly as they sink.
The sky is covered in black and
Thunder and lightning announce the storm
When they are silent, the birds
Resume their delicious songs.

Largo and pianissimo sempre

And in the pleasant flowery meadow,
To the soft murmur of leaves and plants,
The goatherd sleeps, his faithful dog by his side.

Allegro

To the happy sound of a rustic bagpipe,
Nymphs and shepherds dance in their favorite place
When spring appears in all its glory.

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Poem from Michigan Writers

Spring
By Teresa Scollon

Antonio, let me tell you
about Michigan. Spring
is never gentle here. Forget
about caresses. Forget the newts.
They are waiting, curled up
under the mud. Dirty
snow mountains still lurk
in parking lots. Under the ice
the Inland Seas heave, turn over.
Those little flowers you like
have to spear their way
through last season’s leaves.
The point is, spring is hope,
and hope takes work.

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Poem from Michigan Writers

Spring: Self-Portrait as Newt 
By Jennifer Yeatts

Frost has kept me down a good long time. When
the weight of quiet ice bears down, I slip
into the numb monotony of snuggling
deep below the surface of the white world,
dormant to my core, bored as the frigid
mud I’ve called my bed for months. Equinox,
I’d like a word. May I please emerge now?
My terrestrial soul seeks rain at night to pull
me forth and up, to swampy swells and marsh
where I can multiply my future, warm
insect swarms abounding, nourishment
to quell this startling hunger. Thaw this hush,
this godforsaken solace. Melt my blood
so I can rise to ground and reinvent.