april needs a cold shower

if deep December is when england bleeds

groaning in the dark with a hot water bottle

and cursing the pulsing of life at her core

then the new shoots of February are when she does that load of dark laundry

with a shiteating grin that says good riddance

and april is when she ovulates

the creaking and knotting almost forgotten (almost)

in the glorious cat-like stretching

langurous

alert

limbering up

daring

ready

to want

to prowl

to play

to delight in the sweet froth of spring

+

if midwinter is when she cocoons herself

in chunky knit sweaters and the warmth of sweet drinks in fat mugs

then april is when she sheds layers, lifts hems

until all that's left is an arch eyebrow

an invitation

to kill time

make bad decisions

or any decisions really

+

if the cold, dead months drag long

and they do

they stretch and yawn like shadows

then is it any wonder april wants to run fingers of breeze through your hair

and sigh soft against your skin

tickling your calves with cool grass

kissing your shoulders with sunshine

teasing and delighting you

until you blush pink

and melt

under her flirting fingers

ready to love

until summer

+

Thank you for reading!

Tbis is for Mike's Dollar Challenge for April, and Natasza's poetry challenge, both linked below.

Shout out also to Paul. He knows why.