Viva sweet love!

For the last few years spring has been a long drawn out affair, with Japanese Quince blooming in late March and April and the crabs in late April and May...but every so often we get a hurried, crazy spring when they all bloom together. I recall the last time this happened was seven or more years ago and then we get this sort of, well, rather peculiar mix of colors in a few gardens here and there...I rather look forward to it. If there is one time of year when clashing colors can almost get away with it is in springtime...speaking of which, every spring I re-recite and relish one of the many fine spring poems by e.e. cummings: you must chant along with me now:

sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love
(all the merry little birds are
flying in the floating in the
very spirits singing in
are winging in the blossoming)
lovers go and lovers come
awandering awondering
but any two are perfectly
alone there's nobody else alive
(such a sky and such a sun
i never knew and neither did you
and everybody never breathed
quite so many kinds of yes)
not a tree can count his leaves
each herself by opening
but shining who by thousands mean
only one amazing thing
(secretly adoring shyly
tiny winging darting floating

merry in the blossoming
always joyful selves are singing)
sweet spring is your
time is my time is our
time for springtime is lovetime
and viva sweet love