The Little Joys of Spring

Photographer - Tobi Brun

The Little Joys of Spring

Each hill affirms the presence of the ease

That copiously comes when winter's dead.

Old stems regain esprit, but more than that,

Blooms of new colours join a flowerbed.

For man and beast, the obstinate disease

Of idleness tails off, and oval, fat,

And pulpy things suspend from leafy trees.

Lakes seem like glasses with paillettes of gold.

Leaf-scattered rays appear as stelliform

Designs that wink. In pocket parks, young boys

Take strolls, do yoga, and soak up the warm

And gentle sun, while in their groups, the old

Sip tea, debate the headlines, and rejoice

In watching the rose-coloured day unfold.

Temples win back their worshippers once more.

The mandaps' floor tiles chilled their naked feet

Back in December. Now, they're mild and friendly.

Now, vendors line the footways of each street

With pushcarts packed with fruits. Their charms restore

The market squares with shoppers and so gently

Set that old, lively hubbub like before.

But, out of all these lucky friends of spring,

The luckiest's the wandering butterfly,

For she is served a giant plate of flowers

On meads. She draws their fluids, then flutters by

A lad (who's come with his small net for trapping

her), making him believe he's superpowers;

He tries and tries while she keeps dancing, flapping.

Word Meaning:

Mandap: The main hall of a temple.

Shamik Banerjee is a poet from India. He resides in Assam with his parents. Some of his recent works will appear in York Literary Review, Willow Review, Thimble Lit, and Modern Reformation, to name a few.