Today Counts as the First Spring Day

March is here
And I wore my brown hoodie to work today
Instead of a coat
Therefore
Today counts as the first day of spring
Two weeks from yesterday
I take the stage like thousands of others
Singing the songs from the Old Country
Not to make people drink and scream
But to remember the ghosts for another year

My family
Works through things and through obstacles
Instead of running
Therefore
Where there is love there is hope
Two weeks from yesterday
I will spend 4 days straight with my Mother
As she watches me sing songs of my own, and the Old Country
And hopefully as people drink and scream
They might remember me when they leave

My heart
Is something I never really see worth fighting for
Instead of believing
Therefore
Today is like any other day
Two or three years from now
I will wish I had acted differently
And through songs of my own, and the Old Country
I will resist the urge to drink and scream
So I can remember better what I've been through

I have a blessed life
Protected by Grace
Earned by others around me
And I honor them
With a tipped cap
On the first day of spring
For the gift of giving
The gift of feeling
And the wisdom to observe