The westward bend of the Bradford Pear this morning
lends a bit of belief that the cool has come,
a rendering from the east to separate
the least and greatest temperatures of April.

Two days ago, I stood at the counter
of Triple L Tires and joked
that surely when the temperature hit ninety
it was time to swap out the snow tires.

Now a forming of gray clouds and a chill breeze
makes me believe the frost warning
forecast for the beginning of next week
might be something more
than the perennial pessimism
of a place where I once saw a foot of snow
come after Easter
and have heard that it can snow in May.

Some folks say “it’s only weather”
and I’d say that most days
it is sort of trivial conversation
but then again, I guess tsunamis and hurricanes
are weather, too.

With that sort of view
and in a place where tornadoes take towns off the map,
it’s hard to blame a man for keeping an eye on the sky.

H. Arnett
4/26/12