Oh, Jo, did you write that just for me? *sniff* That's beautiful, and I'm so touched.

Have you ever heard Peter Mayer's song "Green", from his album Midwinter? Same idea:

When winter’s gray is on the sky
Rust upon the leaves that lie
Red on the last few berries clinging
Brown on the branch where the bitter wind’s singing
Even when white obscures the scene
Still, in winter, there is green

Waving defiant pine tree boughs
Cedar needles, stubborn and proud
Hiding inside the seeds of summer
And deep in the root where it sleeps undercover
Patiently waiting there unseen
In the winter, there is green

Death may raise its voice today
O but life will have its say
Speaking in lovers and in children
In poets pens and philosopher’s visions
Life is a planet’s daring dream
Earth’s devotion, spoken in green

So keep it in your winter store
Hang its garland ‘round the door
Grant to your heart its hopeful promise
Fashion a wreath for its blessing upon us
Winter brings browns and grays indeed
But when it comes, remember green

(Sung to the tune of "Shepherds Arise." You can hear a clip here See album info here. This is one of the key songs on my it's-winter-but-I'm-trying-to-stay-cheerful playlist, and it's also on the new Holy Tree playlist I'm creating. I would like to set your poem to music so I could add it, too. Mmm . . . would you object for me to ask Nate Buckland to see if he might be willing to come up with a tune for it? It's so beautiful, it should be sung.

Thanks again,
Love,
Peg