Spring Song

I know why the yellow forsythia

Holds its breath and will not bloom,

And the robin thrusts his beak in his wing.

Want me to tell you? Think you can bear it?

Cover your eyes with your hand and hear it.

You know how cold the days are still?

And everybody saying how late the Spring is?

Well—cover your eyes with your hand—the thing is,

There isn't going to be any Spring.

No parking here! No parking here!

They said to Spring: No parking here!

Spring came on as she always does,

Laid her hand on the yellow forsythia,—

Little boys turned in their sleep and smiled,

Dreaming of marbles, dreaming of agates;

Little girls leapt from their bed to see

Spring come by with her painted wagons,

Coloured wagons creaking with wonder—

Laid her hand on the robin's throat;

When up comes you-know-who, my dear,

You-know-who in a fine blue coat,

And says to Spring: No parking here!

No parking here! No parking here!

Move on! Move on! No parking here!

Come walk with me in the city gardens.

(Better keep an eye out for you-know-who)

Did you ever see such a sickly showing?—

Middle of June, and nothing growing;

The gardeners peer and scratch their heads

And drop their sweat on the tulip-beds,

But not a blade thrusts through.

Come, move on! Don't you know how to walk?

No parking here! And no back-talk!

Oh, well,—hell, it's all for the best.

She certainly made a lot of clutter,

Dropping petals under the trees,

Taking your mind off your bread and butter.

Anyhow, it's nothing to me.

I can remember, and so can you.

(Though we'd better watch out for you-know-who,

When we sit around remembering Spring.)

We shall hardly notice in a year or two.

You can get accustomed to anything.