I took the road out back

with morning sun and spongy defrosting grounds.

Likely the last new covering of snow.

Melt trickled down lines of the rutted bedrock tracks.

Small animal foot prints crossed the road.

Stone wall lined woods lead the way

to old foundations and swamps.

An evenly spread dusting on bare ground,

like the first snow.

A last sputter of winter.

Now come the bugs.