It is easier to mark things as blessed in spring

I am mulling over the bishop blessing my therapy/spiritual direction/consulting office next Sunday.  He will be at St. Mark*s and confirm our confirmands.  I*m thinking something really simple.  My office-mate Robin asked if he would mark the blessing in chalk.  Which got me thinking.  I have an image of chalk marks everywhere this spring.  I think of all the houses that are blessed in the Epiphany season, with chalk dates on the entryway.  Perhaps there will be chalk involved.

It is easier to mark things as blessed

In spring.

The house sparrows build their nest

In our gutter,

The pink trees

Redbud, crabapple even pinker

today.

There was a special notice

For crabapples overnight,

All crabapples everywhere:

Through the dirt?

In the air?

Today is the day for the full pink show.

Even

The clematis in the backyard,

The one I knew

Had long been buried,

Started green,

Began one simple vine,

Two leaves.

Did it know I was set to move the trellis

For something more in need

Of support?

It is easier now to mark things as obviously

Blessed.

Here:  Let us mark the gutter in chalk

With cross and date,

The crabapple

The redbud.

Hang a flag from the trellis

In the backyard

Here is life

Here there will be life

If you watch long enough.

Let us cross and date

The patch of dirt next to the rhubarb

Ready now for harvest and sauce,

Cross and date the planters in front

With tiny Sweet William plants.

Now is the obvious time to mark

Everything we see

As blessed,

Let us especially mark

The dirt.