Scruples #23 was written in April 2023 which makes it my most recent poem. Coincidentally, “The Advent of Spring” which was posted in March-April 2020 was accepted for publication in the April 2023 edition of Verse-Virtual. https://www.verse-virtual.org/ In recognition of merit, the poem is being reposted.
23.
Pick any pocket, reach inside,
let the right hand fumble around,
find a silver dollar…
Behold how bright and shiny
hard currency glitters in light
of day, within your grasp…
This time you made a choice
that paid off for a change–
on the money, winner takes all.
The Advent of Spring
Before sunrise many will congregate
outside the church in utter silence,
all eyes uplifted towards the steeple—
clerks, merchants, butchers, bakers
mingle with bankers and lawyers,
the mayor amongst them, standing alone.
The time of their lives is about to change.
Now that winter’s waned, spring
should be promising a warm welcome
for kindred spirits who kept out
of harm’s way by staying indoors.
And so, as the town stirs, windows
open, streets become walkable,
fountains blooming in every plaza.
The vigil lasts until first light.
By then bells ring free of the icy grip
that had stilled their tongues.
Crystal clear they chime, a blessing
upon those beholden
to the season’s better nature.
The bells, the bells!
Thanks, Michael, “The Advent of Spring” is a crescendo that builds to the bells,
reminds me of Poe’s “the rhyming and the chiming of the bells.”
Congrats on publication – easy to see why they loved this one! And I enjoyed the playfulness of #23.