The Unexpected

It didn't take long for the year of the dragon to yield the unexpected.

I saw today the violets I have been waiting for had already bloomed,

and I hadn't ever noticed the stems coming out of the leaves

or a tiny hint of purple on the buds.

This picture is from last spring.

Here they are this spring, a bit rain-soaked.
Another unexpected note was

that the blossoms were open in the sunshine,

but later closed up against the rain.

I didn't know they would do that.

The Japanese red maple was also a surprise.
It seems like one minute it had no leaves, and the next

it sparkled scarlet in the sunshine.

I think the loveliest surprise is the profusion of blooms

on the two legacy redbuds I wrote about March 15.

They have never been so beautiful.

And when I catch sight of them through the window,

it's always an unexpected delight.

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