(for birthday gal Shelley Burns)

It’s over 60 degrees on the 23rd day
of this new year as freezing friends
in the east express envy and a little

disbelief about Northern California
springlike conditions after (for us)
too many gray days and whomping rain.

As Shelley puts us through our paces
outdoors, we oldies in both song
and soul step lively to her music,

peel off layers, while our nearest star
plays hide-and-seek with scampering
woolly clouds. It’s not over, this winter

of our lives—we know there’s more
to come. But for now, we do what we
can as Sir Elton sings of the sun rolling

high through the sapphire sky. We feel
our backs warming, delighted to be
T-shirted and tennis-shoed in this

moment of possibility, evolving from
winter-bound creatures to ones
who can see their way into spring,

sending our dear ones in the cold
cozy blessings from our little
circle of life on this humble corner

of the only planet we’ll ever call
home.