春天解冻(Spring Thaw)

everyapriliambesetbythesameconcern-thatspringmightnotoccurthisyear.thelandscapelooksforsaken,withhills,skyandforestformingasinglegraymeld,likethewashanartistpaintsonacanvasbeforethemasterwork.myspiritsebb,astheydidduringanaprilsnowfallwhenifirstcametomaine15yearsago."justwait,"aneithborcounseled."youllwakeuponemorningandspringwilljustbehere."

andlo,onmay3thatyeariawoketoagreensostartlingastobealmostelectric,asifspringweresimplyamatterofflippingaswitch.hills,skyandforestrevealedtheirpurples,bluesandgreen.leaveshadunfurled,goldfincheshadarrivedatthefeederanddaffodilswerefightingtheirwayheavenward.

thentherewastheoldappletree.itsitsonanundevelopedlotinmyneighborhood.itbelongstonooneandthereforetoeveryone.thetreesdarktwistedbranchessprawlinunprunedabandon.eachspringitblossomssoprofuselythattheairbecomessaturatedwiththearomaofapple.whenidrivebywithmywindowsrolleddown,itgivesmethefeelingofmovinginanotherelement,likeakidonawaterslide.

untillastyear,ithoughtiwastheonlyoneawareofthistree.andthenoneday,inafitofspringmadness,isetoutwithprunerandloppertoremoveafewerrantbranches.nosoonerhadiarrivedunderitsboughsthanneighborsopenedtheirwindowsandsteppedontotheirporches.thesewerepeopleibarelyknewandseldomspoketo,butitwasasifihadcomeunbiddenintotheirpersonalgardens.

mymobile-homeneighborwasthefirsttospeak."yourenotcuttingitdown,areyou?"anotherneighborwincedasiloppedoffabranch."dontkillit,now,"hecautioned.soonhalftheneighborhoodhadjoinedmeundertheapplearbor.itstruckmethatihadlivedthereforfiveyearsandonlynowwaslearningthesepeoplesnames,whattheydidforalivingandhowtheypassedthewinter.itwasasiftheoldappletreegatheringusunderitsboughsforthedualpurposeofacquaintanceshipandsharedwonder.icouldnthelprecallingrobertfrosts*words:

thetreesthathaveitintheirpent-upbuds

todarkennatureandbesummerwoods

onethawledtoanother.justtheotherdayisawoneofmyneighborsatthelocalstore.heremarkedhowthisrecentwinterhadbeenespeciallylongandlamentednothavingseenorspokenatlengthtoanyoneinourneighborhood.andthen,recoupinghisthoughts,helookedatmeandsaid,"weneedtoprunethatappletreeagain."