While Walking My Dog In The Neighborhood

A Poem

It’s a Monday morning The sun is shining The wind after a week of incessant blowing Has finally quieted

After several false starts It’s apparent that Spring has finally taken hold The first flower buds have blossomed Forerunners of many more to come The trees show the promise of the leaves to come Listen closely Or better yet embrace a nearby tree You might hear or feel the tingle of the sap flowing

The whole rhythmic beat of life is palpable There is a freshness An energy in the very air I breathe Nature’s exuberance is contagious Bringing excitement An unbridled sense of “all is well”

Having survived another winter Birds reveal new songs for the season Squirrels are omnipresent during the daytime Rabbits scamper once the sun goes down Turkeys parade their new offspring Babies born during the dark days Are seen as they have their coming out to society Pushed in strollers by proud parents and grandparents I am an enraptured witness to all of this My melancholy banished for now

As I walk my dog this late April morning My spirits gradually lifted as we went along Couldn’t help but responding to Nature’s diverse outpouring of life Even the dog seems affected Usually difficult when encountering Other dogs

Bicyclists Kids on scooters Squirrels-chipmunks-rabbits Delivery vehicles(USPS and Fed-Ex are particularly disliked) My dog is actually obeying my commands Even when it is clear he is not in total agreement with the directive

This delightful experience won’t last forever But I will try to enjoy the present As long as it lasts Immersing myself in its comforting depths Maybe I will even share this sense Of rightness in the world With others

Perhaps in the days ahead they will return this gesture Wouldn’t that be wonderful