It’s Spring in the Northern Hemisphere. I’ve caught glimpses of the small joys of spring-time, flowers in bud, skipping ropes in use … and here are a few more, as tanka … Summer is in the air …
the first green fringe 
on the maple tree
shorts tug
and fly
on the line
a red plastic toy
under the bridge
in April
the river runs
brown and fast 
the willow repeats
its fall of branches
in still water
where children float
paper-boats in summer
the first tanka was published in Canadian Stories
the second in American Tanka
the third in Noochbomb
The Berry Books are perfect for 3-6 year-olds: Berry the mouse, who lives in a tree, gets into funny situations, and has to find his way out of them.
1960willowtree 