Poetry: The First Green of Spring

The First Green of Spring
–David Budbill
From Moment to Moment: Poems of a Moun­tain Recluse

Out walk­ing in the swamp pick­ing cowslip, marsh marigold,
this sweet first green of spring. Now sautéed in a pan melting
to a deep­er green than ever they were alive, this green, this life,

har­bin­ger of things to come. Now we sit at the table munching
on this mes­sage from the dawn which says we and the world
are alive again today, and this is the world’s birth­day. And

even though we know we are grow­ing old, we are dying, we
will nev­er be young again, we also know we’re still right here
now, today, and, my oh my! don’t these greens taste good.