I remember when the world of nature, plants around us,
First brought me realization of its imitation of humanity, people around us
Welcome Spring, daffodils, crocuses,
They’re the new babies appearing
And more follow as the heat of the season called Summer arrives
And every plant will have its day
And children will grow, laugh and play
(“Grown-ups” should get out of the way)
Until the heat diminishes, and breezes chill
And winds become more frequent
With the leaves of green on trees turning yellow, orange, red
Only to fall, in the season called Fall
And children now in their teens move on to high school
While teens now out of high school, on to college
And graduates of college on to new jobs
With parents, post summer vacations, back to work
While older folks at last one year reach the time
When they can remain longer at the summer place
To welcome Halloween, and then Thanksgiving
’til all leaves have fallen
And here comes Winter — some welcome snow —
December holidays, pine trees brought indoors to be decorated by some
Farm foods brought in for young and old to enjoy
When youngsters visit old folks, often called Grandparents
With winter wind a tree may fall, its years completed
While one year a Grandparent is absent, missed
And the world around us awaits another Spring.
Leigh B. Smith, a New Jersey native, has been a Vineyard Haven year-rounder for 27 years, who reads nonfiction and plays the piano.