He who binds to himself a joy doth the winged life destroy, 
but he who kisses the joy as it flies
lives in eternity’s sunrise” 
~ William Blake  

Spring gains momentum,
 Bow River swells with mountain pride,
frost heaved ice floes
bobble along indifferently
surrendering to this,
to here,
to now;
our word for this;
seasons.  
Morphing back from whence it came,
melding into nature’s circle divine
ice does not differentiate itself from the river,
only we do that;this,
our explanation.  
Rhyming couplets of long necked geese
speckle the banks of this eternal stream,
resting, foraging, taking flight
goslings in tow
life’s currents carry them
to destiny unfolding;
we call this nature.  
Genetic compass maps the course,
yielding to events unfolding,
doing, trusting, being,
mated for life;
we know this as faith.  
It’s Good Friday
balmy climes draw out the droves.
families bonding,
couples new and old
and those in between
weaving
multi-colored shrouds,
of connection,
the universal cloak
of harmonic life vibrations;
we experience this
as love.  
Celebrating life as it is,
a walk in the park,
 fleeting heartbeats
eternity in bloom,
the way things are,
the way things can be;
with a tinge of green. 

Copyright © Henri Ferguson 2013 All rights reserved  

Author Notes 
This poem was started when the Bow River was just breaking up from the winter of 2013 and those undeniable signs of spring were appearing. I had no way of knowing that this gentle river-scape would unfold into a flooding disaster of biblical proportions less than 3 months later.  
We were staying at a condo in Calgary in Parkdale a gorgeous setting along the Bow River, with miles of parkland and trails across the street. The seed of this poem came to me on Fri March 29, (Good Friday) as I walked along the river.  Folks of every description; young and aged, out enjoying whispered promises of spring. Families bonding, couples holding hands, love and gratitude filled the air. I watched 4 baby geese flanked by mom and dad, come over the top of the riverbank to forage in the grass.  
A heartfelt “Thank you” to Elaine Moses for her generosity and her wide compassionate heart and making this place a sanctuary for Michelle to battle cancer once again. Taking long power walks was my therapy to deal with my own struggles of helplessness watching Michelle in the throes of this soul searing nightmare. I found the salve for this in a tinge of green.