John Clare: April 1.The infant april joins the spring And views its watery skye As youngling linnet trys its wing And fears at first to flye With timid step she ventures on And hardly dares to smile The blossoms open one by one And sunny hours beguile 2.But finer days approacheth yet With scenes more sweet to charm And suns arrive that rise and set Bright strangers to a storm And as the birds with louder song Each mornings glory cheers With bolder step she speeds along And looses all her fears 3.In wanton gambols like a child She tends her early toils And seeks the buds along the wild That blossom while she smiles And laughing on with nought to chide She races with the hours Or sports by natures lovley side And fills her lap with flowers 4.Tho at her birth north cutting gales Her beautys oft disguise And hopfull blossoms turning pales Upon her bosom dies Yet ere she seeks another place And ends her reign in this She leaves us with as fair a face As ere gave birth to bliss 5.And fairey month of waking mirth From whom our joys ensue Thou early gladder of the earth Thrice welcom here anew With thee the bud unfolds to leaves The grass greens on the lea And flowers their tender boon recieves To bloom and smile with thee

Joel Barnard: April Winter transitions to spring in the uncertain beginnings of April. During the early warm spells, early risk takers, hopeful for the newyear, begin their breeding cycles. Among the earliest to appear are the tiny blossoms of the plum, peach, and pear. The early fragrance and warm air stirs the bees from their home, only to be struck down by the sudden cool breeze and chilling rain never to return to their comb. The blossoming trees are at a loss as the warming days enticed out there leaves, only to be destroyed by a freeze. But as April progresses and the days grow longer the continued growth and rejuvenation of the land, spring grows and winter slowly subsides. The long migrants of the world return to the north to utilize this new growth, singing the morning mating songs signaling rebirth of the land. As the signs of spring grow in number, winter becomes a distant memory. Plant buds draw out and new growth appears, covering all the scars of the past year, with no judgment of the cause. Nature has no notion of wrong only right. Up rise the herb and grass flowers painting the hills and meadows with vivid colors, purples, yellows, reds and whites, but strangely so few blues. Though at the start, tantalizing with things to come, and disappointment with sudden change, in the end her beauty takes hold leaving the world looking bold. What greater time for enjoying the earth than walking through fields of birth. Along with the land, we too bud anew, you can’t help but marvel at the joy the land can do. The men that work the earth know to well to watch the signs. The early bloomers aren’t to be followed, for they are signals only to get ready, spring will come shortly. These early growers risk a lot, but with them the rest depend to start the procession. And in this way spring progresses one growth cycle giving to another, offering ample opportunity to grab hold of April’s bounty.