The Birds Go North Again

"Oh, every year hath its winter,
And every year hath its rain--
But a day is always coming
When the birds go north again.

"When new leaves swell in the forest,
And grass springs green on the plain,
And alders' veins turn crimson--
And the birds go north again.

"Oh, every heart hath its sorrow,
And every heart hath its pain--
But a day is always coming
When the birds go north again.

"'Tis the sweetest thing to remember,
If courage be on the wane,
When the cold, dark days are over--
Why, the birds go north again."

The birds do go north again. Lately, I have forgotten that. All I have seen are hopless rains and dreary winters through my mind's eye. Yet, I so often forget in times of despair that it is the rain, the fog, the mist, the doomsday winters that make the grass under my feet green again. I can look forward to emerald springs speckled with Cornflower, Barberry and Larkspur. I have hope. I can live through this winter all because I know what is to come.