There are many things I love about Spring.

The smell in the air as the earth unthaws and the soil emerges again.

The sound of birds returning home.

The sight of forests of brown sticks becoming engulfed by green buds and then leaves.

The eager anticipation of starting a garden anew, and wondering what may become of it this year.

But I don’t know if I’ll ever quite appreciate Spring the same way after reading today’s piece, I Wanted the Spring for You, by Gerry Peré. About the poem, he says, “ I wrote this a week before my father, Gerard Peré, died from cancer. I read it to him as he lay in his hospital bed in his living room.” Just the title alone offers a look into the heartbreak of a terminal diagnosis.

But this gardening poem is more than an ode to a final Spring, it reminds us that each new season is a gift.

The Gift of Spring Through a Gardening Poem

This gardening poem comes from our archive that spans over 30 years and includes more than 130 magazine issues of GreenPrints. Pieces like this offer everyday life lessons and always give me something to ponder for the day, and I hope it does for you as well.

I Wanted the Spring for You

By Gerry Peré

Author’s Note: I wrote this a week before my father, Gerard Peré, died from cancer. I read it to him as he lay in his hospital bed in his living room.

I wanted the Spring for You,
That time when the Earth is black with warmth,
When your hand connects with the Dirt
and you know it is time.
That day when the rains are gone
And the sun is bright—
So bright, it warms you and
Heals you once again . . .
Renews you, Empowers you,
Shows you All that is good and takes its time to say,
This is Your time, Your day . . .
Your day to Till, Prune, Shovel,
Rake and Grow your Life anew.
Come, All is ready—
Your shovel is honed,
Your rake tines are straight,
I oiled your shears,
Your gloves are supple and
Your boots are by the door.
Reach down,
Touch the Earth.
Smell the warm,
Feel the Sun and
Choose today to
Plant your Life anew. ❖

By Gerry Peré, published originally in 2021, in GreenPrints Issue #125. Illustration by Linda Cook Devona.

Did you enjoy this gardening poem? Please tell us how it made you feel when you read this heart-warming piece.