a blue jay lands on the tulip poplar

the eastern plum is still in bloom

the western plum begins to show color

the hackberry across the street

green beginning, faint, fairly

delicate, what are not yet leaves, two

squirrel nests still exposed above the roofs, well above the roofs,

the tulip poplar which was shaped —

its major branches still cut blunt

surfaces, discs —

the colors, muted, greys, browns, black, quiet

green, what stands out is that pink, white-pink

directly in front of the gaze — purple-plum in the

center behind the tulip-poplar