LAUGHTER WILL RETURN

At last fall's street fair, I broke down and bought a piece from an artist I have long admired. Not being able to afford her large pieces of art, I bought a six by six inch plaque. The background is in beautiful earth tones. On the left side, it's strung from top to bottom with copper wires, one bedecked with brown and gray stones and jewels. On the right is a sheet of hammered copper that bears this verse:

WINTER COMES

HEARTS ACHE.

THE MOON

RISES.

WINTER GOES,

CROCUSES

BLOOM.

LAUGHTER

RETURNS.

That's how I feel about winter today. How long will we have to endure winter? How long will it be until laughter returns? I always count down to April 15, a date arbitrarily picked by me, and it is usually spring-like on that day.

So from today, it is 57 days until the laughter comes back, until the earth unfolds her frozen arms and enfolds us in her warm embrace again.