Leaf Out (SWF)

Above,
this Blue

Glidewell Trail,
Brookville Lake, Indiana

I return to woods that are full—the branches heavy, now, thick with leaves, where, just weeks ago, light barely caught on a branch, smooth and thin, waiting for spring.

Great Waterleaf, Hydrophyllum appendiculatum

Mayapple, Podophyllum peltatum

The wildflowers, small and bright, bold and brassy, begging to be seen, have passed.
Knee-deep in fresh, soft growth, the long and lacy stems fill in, the softer light more kind to their quiet colors--
pale lavender, shades of purple, icy blue.

Wild Hyacinth, Camassia scilloides

Miami Mist, Phacelia purshii

Under this cover,
beneath its shade,
gossamer petals on willowy stems,
fringed faces from a carpet, watch.

Dragonfly on Dwarf Larkspur, Delphinium tricorne

And hold the sounds there, still.
Within the safety of these woods.

Scarlet Tanager, Piranga olivacea

Jack in the Pulpit, Arisaema triphyllum

Violet Wood Sorrel, Oxalis violacea

Great Waterleaf

Wild Hyacinth

Dwarf Larkspur
(click to enlarge)

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