After a ten year winter, the sun showed his face.
Not in the muted crystal greys of icy air,
the collar up shivers and hurried steps,
or the muddy browns of leaf carcasses
that lie dormant on the decaying lawn.
No, it happened like a first kiss,
the breath of the breeze
caressing the warm embrace of rays
working to thaw out my darkened heart.
The sun appeared like wagging dog tails
and flirty spring dresses,
like cherry blossoms pirouetting across my neighbor’s fence,
like bare feet and painted toes,
and ice cold sweet tea.
He showed his face like a long missed lover,
someone familiar and cherished
and gone for so long I’d almost forgotten
the sound of my name crossing his lips,
the breathy vowels and long esses
wrapped inside a knowing smile
that shone when winter ended
and the sun showed his face.