Only last week
icy Arctic winds
blasted down our wee street,
icing roads
and frosting cars …
brrrr!!!

But today,
as we drive to Randalstown,
spring is definitely
in the air.

Shy snowdrops
nestle into hedges
and golden crocuses
stand boldly in swathes
as we pass.

In Randalstown Forest,
a herd of deer
watches us cautiously
from a distance
before leaping gracefully away
one … by … one –
all seventeen of them!

Finally,
as we picnic in the car park,
a wee, tiny goldcrest
hops about the shrub
right beside us,
inspecting every leaf and twig
(and there are many!)
for insects,
his flame-bright crest
flickering
through the branches.

Thank You, Lord,
for the gift
of a gentle, spring day.
A day of new life
poised
on the verge of splendour.
A day to make us smile
and to fill us with the promise
of warmer days ahead.

© Claire Murray, 28th January 2024