Employ the Wind (in April for John)

When I sing of you I will employ the wind

and be schooled by wind in how the world sounds

then shout stout-stemmed your praises.
The silent roar of the vast

stretch of indigo sky gathers March gales,
zigzags twisted leaves here and there
to trumpet your eager energy harnessing
turbine gusts for family and friends,

shunning idleness headlong into spring
when winds shake the meadows awake,
air scented with bergamot from tawny trees.
You, too, stir your aromatic medicine

sweet scented. I breathe you in and sketch
myself larger than before. We cluster together,
whisper winds gentle above our heads, thorns
blunted, sadness a shallow thing as elder roots grow down.

Summer steals the sun and tells the story
of the grasses, strong waves of wind rush,
thrust and pummel stalks that sway in response,
force dampened not cursed, is this not your way?

And in the fall when flowers will not
wait for snow's howl, wind swoops and
swivels, wakes death to claim its rightful
place, blows change lashed to life, unafraid.

You wander and wend, my love, sail near
the four winds, use breath for resonant sounding.

One Wednesday, a long time ago, the guest contributor over at Imaginary Gardens with Real Toads was De Jackson of Whimsy Gizmo who had us choose from a list of intriguing words and phrases in a botanical book to construct our poem. It took me until now to finish it. April is my Honey's birthday month. Posted for Real Toads Open Link Monday.