The clematis has soared
to the top of the oak tree
and is tumbling earthwards again,
the tendrils searching out new ground.

The magnolia’s sweet petals unfold,
white and coral pink.
The chestnut holds its plumes high
trumpeting in delight.
Lilac scents the air.

It is May!

And when we thought all the glory had passed,
the hawthorn bursts into bloom,
clothing the countryside
in wreaths of white,
as if the earth was re-born.

My breath catches at the beauty
all around.
Still,
there is a sadness now
in the swoop of the swallow,
a longing in the bluebell
as it fades.

And as the days lengthen,
we hasten to St. Stephen’s Green
fearful to miss one moment
of his wit,
her smile,
their presence close to us.

For when the earth tilts
on its axis once more,
we will feel the lurch,
as it moves away from the sun.

Maeve Edwards - - May 2010
Dublin Unitarian Church