Spring is Coming, But Not Today

A Special Surprise Writer For You!

Today, a special guest. Poet Ed Pacht has been a dear friend of ours for a long time, and a personal inspiration related to Day By Day. I’ve been writing an essay or poem or some little bit or another here every day since November 1, 2023, so about five months now.

Ed has been doing that for decades. Every day a poem. Every. Single. Day. And several of his poems have to do with Little Bean, or with rocks. In fact, Ed has a lifelong appointment as Poet Laureate of our NH Rocks That Rock community. He’s also poet laureate of the city of Rochester, but NH Rocks had him first! When Little Bean and I launched our original field guide in Londonderry, Ed opened the festivities with a special reading.

We adore Ed, and you should too!

So, today, Ed gave us permission to publish a poem he wrote yesterday, in honor of the April snowstorm. Thank you Ed! We’re proud to present “Don’t Trust Mother Nature” by Ed Pacht.

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Don’t Trust Mother Nature

It’s an April day,

a lovely day,

sunny and warm,

just the kind of day

you’ve waited for

in those winter days

of cold and ice and snow.

Spring is here,

the grass is turning green,

crocus blooms are breaking through

and opening wide before you,

and you smile.

Spring is here.

Summer is coming.

The winter is gone.

But Mother Nature is watching,

waiting,

deciding what to do,

and she’s not nice.

Don’t trust Mother Nature.

She’s got plans for you.

Just wait.

Just you wait,

for when you expect it least,

that’s when it comes,

when the snow comes back,

the snow falls,

and falls and falls,

and the wind blows,

and blows hard,

and trees break

and fall,

and light poles tumble,

and cars slide on slippery roads,

and you shiver

in the sudden chill

of the nice warm spring day

that you thought was coming.

Where is the spring?

Where is that lovely day?

A lie,

a false promise,

a joke for April fools –

like you.

Don’t trust Mother Nature,

but wait,

just wait,

this too will pass,

the warmth will return,

the sun will shine,

and it will be Spring.

But beware:

Mother still has tricks,

lots of tricks

for you.

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