The magnolia buds bulge,
threaten speech,
look like the bursting bills
of an exotic race
of albino toucans.
Grackles infest the top branches
of the blackjack oaks,
give long stringy cries
and spread their tail feathers.
Mockingbirds, scissortails, robins,
purple martins and jays
swoop and shout
while the honeysuckle assaults
the damp air with its breath.
The treetops reach upward,
stir the moisture in low clouds.
The earth nods at equinox,
trailing a clamor
of conjugal festivities.
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