Leitmotif

At first the frost and long
winter that seems to never end,
           then light putting its albums of leaves
away as it becomes harder to see–
We know something is coming
and yet we are unprepared:
          we take in the tender
plants and set them by an east-facing window,
hoping they survive.
          Swift passage of time,
then the returning industry of insects and birds.
How their certainty astounds: a line
of ants marching along the windowsill,
          a woodpecker starting
to test each wooden door to find the hidden hinge.