A few evenings ago, I went for a bike ride and realized just how entranced I am with spring. I think it's possible that the harshness of this past winter has made me much more aware of just how wonderful spring is!!
Spring brings my senses back to life! In the winter I feel like all my nose takes in (after the delicious smells of Christmas are gone) is the cold smell of snow, all my eyes see are whiteness and underneath that brownness, all I hear are weather reports and snow crunching under tires, all I feel is cold and more cold; only my sense of taste remains alert, bringing comfort to my other senses through delicious, heavy foods that the other senses know, but are too deadened to warn the rest of me, will come back to bite me come spring.
Spring brings my senses back to life! In the winter I feel like all my nose takes in (after the delicious smells of Christmas are gone) is the cold smell of snow, all my eyes see are whiteness and underneath that brownness, all I hear are weather reports and snow crunching under tires, all I feel is cold and more cold; only my sense of taste remains alert, bringing comfort to my other senses through delicious, heavy foods that the other senses know, but are too deadened to warn the rest of me, will come back to bite me come spring.
But in spring, with the first really warm day, my senses are suddenly ALIVE! It's almost as though some dormant form of synesthesia springs to life, and my senses begin to cross. I smell freshly mown grass and suddenly visions of backyard barbecues spring before my eyes, I can taste the grilled chicken, I can feel the grass between my toes, I can hear the birds chirping. Or I'll ride my bike past a baseball diamond in a local park and I can taste ice cold Popsicles (the ones whose flavors are colors) and feel myself sitting on a blanket on the sidelines and smell the dust from the diamond and hear the crack of the ball against the bat. And speaking of baseball, when I hear a Tigers game on the radio I can see the Detroit skyline over the right field wall, and taste the Hebrew National hot dog and the French fries and Pepsi, and hear the organ playing and the announcer and the fans.
My senses are shouting to each other, rejoicing, waking up! Everything to my eyes is brighter, the colors more vibrant; I hear a symphony of sounds, from birds chirping their different tunes to the music of the ice cream truck and the laughter of children playing in sprinklers; my taste buds come to life with spring fruits and fresh veggies; I'm no longer covered with layer upon layer of clothing, and my bare arms feel the warmth and my bare feet feel the grass; and my nose...my nose smells a million wonderful smells!!
I just can't get enough of spring. I've never appreciated more fully Frank Lloyd Wright's Principle of Organic Design that emphasizes a kinship between a building and the ground around it. His designs opened up homes to the outdoor space, bringing the outside in and the inside out. And with gorgeous weather like we've had lately, who wouldn't want that?!
Though I love poetry, I am definitely no poet myself. Yet something about spring, particularly this spring, has made me wish I could write a great and lasting poem to capture the feel of the season. Instead, I'll count my rantings here and call it good!
*It should be noted that a large portion of this blog post was written while hula hooping in my backyard.
