Goodbye Winter.

The Echoing Green


The Sun does arise,
And make happy the skies;
The merry bells ring
To welcome the Spring;
The skylark and thrush,
The birds of the bush,
Sing lounder around
To the bells' chearful sound,
While our sports shall be seen
On the Echoing Green.

Old John, with white hair,
Does laugh away care,
Sitting under the oak,
Among the old folk.
They laugh at our play,
And soon they all say:
``Such, such were the joys
When we all, girls & boys,
In our youth time were seen
On the Echoing Green.''

Till the little ones, weary,
No more can be merry;
The sun does descend,
And our sports have on end.
Round the laps of their mothers
Many sisters and brothers,
Like birds in their nest,
Are ready for rest,
And sports no more seen
On the darkening Green.

William Blake

We saw out this winter as a large, happy family (Joel's), in one of our favourite local parks. It was the first time we'd all been together in months, what with winter ills, and everyone having babies .

It was blissful. The children laughed and squealed. The men played with the boys and kicked a football around. The babies laid on the blankets and got to know each other. Well, not so much Sam. He just tried to eat the babies.

We girls (there were four of us) sat together, talking babies and parties, just reconnecting. And Joel's parents looked on, with their 8 children (if you count the spouses, which we most definately do) and their 7 Grandchildren (soon to be 8, only 3 weeks to go) and seemed genuinely happy.

It was beautiful. The gentle breeze was the perfect foil for the warmth of the sun, and we all felt lucky to be alive and together.

Goodbye Winter. Bring on the Spring, people. Bring on the Spring.