The weatherman said it would be 80 degrees today
but how does he know
if God didn't tell him directly

April fools seem to lie to themselves...
especially when they know
they held the same title in January and February...
and will remain a fool in May...

In that sing-song style of language I spoke as a child
I can hear my own laughter chimed in with the ghosts of friends who
are long gone...

In my mind I see us jumping rope...
swaying from side to side as we sing,
"April showers, May Flowers, June, July, August..."
waiting our turn to show pride in the month of our birth

and I can smell patent leather shoes, shined with Vaseline 
and a hint of grandma's spit... as she made them gleam anew
I smell the scent of the corner store grocery and dry cleaner
as my - almost new - Easter trench coat
is being pulled from the plastic... 
it's clear that it belonged to Auntie Dee
after it belonged to Auntie LoLo,
after it belonged to Auntie Betty some many years ago
but its still new to me.

and I can see big hats on the front pew
fanning fans from Perry's funeral parlor
and I always get the one with the broken stick
and the fold in the middle

I hear the rattle of plastic paper
being pulled off a peppermint
that isn't supposed to be eaten in church anyway
(but a peppermint is an exception)
I wonder why is opening a peppermint loud ONLY on Sunday?

I look forward to that extra hour of daylight
sitting on the stoop a little longer,
Palm Sunday, Passover, Good Friday, Easter,
the multi-colored eggs with our names on them,
marshmallow and chocolate rabbits,
pretty little girls with bows and curls,
and little boys in knee socks who cry
because their feet hurt in brand new shoes.

"September, October, November, December... which month were you born?"  
I never could get in and out of the rope fast enough

I guess I still take my time getting through the year
I ain't in no rush to see the flowers bloom too soon

The sprinkles and showers that kissed the flowers outside my window pane
has turned to Snow in April 
and tonight I am reminded that God is still in control.