Verklempt - love that word. LOVE the idea of Niko meeting Julie in heaven. :)
April is the cruelest month, the poet said.
Today is April 1, so I was hunting for your springtime poems and this one is the first I've revisited.
So I'm thinking you may be in a mood to try another April poem.
Perhaps (I hope!) more hopeful than this one:
To what purpose, April, do you return again?
Beauty is not enough.
You can no longer quiet me with the redness
Of little leaves opening stickily.
I know what I know.
The sun is hot on my neck as I observe
The spikes of the crocus.
The smell of the earth is good.
It is apparent that there is no death.
But what does that signify?
Not only under ground are the brains of men
Eaten by maggots.
Life in itself
Is nothing,
An empty cup, a flight of uncarpeted stairs.
It is not enough that yearly, down this hill,
April
Comes like an idiot, babbling and strewing flowers.
Ok,
You know me.
Of course I'm going to follow up on "April is the cruelest month."
:)
April is the cruellest month, breeding
Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing
Memory and desire, stirring
Dull roots with spring rain.
Winter kept us warm, covering
Earth in forgetful snow, feeding
A little life with dried tubers.
Summer surprised us, coming over the Starnbergersee
With a shower of rain; we stopped in the colonnade,
And went on in sunlight, into the Hofgarten,
And drank coffee, and talked for an hour.
Read all of Eliot's The Wasteland here:
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/47311/the-waste-land
And for those who won't click on the link, here's a bit more:
The Waste Land begins with a subversion of the first lines of the General Prologue of The Canterbury Tales, by Geoffrey Chaucer. He paints April as a month of restorative power, when spring rain brings nature back to life: “Whan that Aprille with his shoures soote / The droghte of March hath perced to the roote, / And bathed every veyne in swich licóur / Of which vertú engendred is the flour;” it’s an image repeated to the point of cliché in subsequent centuries. But in the wasteland of Eliot’s modern world, amid the ruins of the World War I, the Chaucerian image of a fertile, resurrective April becomes suffused with cruelty. It is, ironically, winter that “kept us warm.”
April Fool's Day
It's 45 degrees here, and already I've found my third tick crawling on me (this one had not attached yet), but I'm heading into the wilderness before the chiggers, mosquitoes, poison ivy, {{{ TICKS }}} and tall grass thwart me.
Thinking of you 
(Your spinster aunt Jane, my spinster aunt Malita)
Full moon tonight!
10:12 p.m. EDT
April's full 'Pink Moon' rises tonight — just as NASA readies its Artemis 2 moon mission
And for those who believe in astrology:
April pink full moon 2026: When to see it and what it means for your zodiac sign
As spring settles in, April's full pink moon will light up the sky, ushering in vibrant energy and a sense of renewal for the season ahead.
The Old Farmer's Almanac began publishing full moon names in the 1930s and notes that April's full moon is called the "pink moon" because of early spring wildflowers. The name is linked to creeping phlox, sometimes referred to as "moss pink," a plant native to the eastern North America that blooms this time of year.
Many Native American tribes named April's full moon after signs of spring and seasonal change. Some called it the breaking ice moon, the moon when the ducks come back, the frog moon, or the budding moon, reflecting melting ice, returning animals and growing plants.
What zodiac sign is April's pink moon in?
The zodiac sign of each full moon is determined by its position in the night sky in relation to the astrological signs. This year, the pink moon falls in Libra... Libra is an air sign and the seventh sign of the zodiac. It sits opposite Aries -- where the sun is currently positioned -- and rules partnerships, commitments and unions, both personal and professional. "Libra is a charming, social and kind zodiac sign that is represented by the symbolic image of the scales or balance," he added. "This shows their innate desire for fairness, justice and logic. By working with others, we can advance our goals and become greater than just ourselves."
Rituals and manifestations to try during the pink moon
Across many ancient cultures, from Chinese traditions to Hebrew holidays, the moon has long been revered for its celestial influence.... Libra is a zodiac sign deeply focused on partnership and union, and during this time, those energies are amplified for everyone. Rituals centered on relationships, whether personal or professional, can be especially powerful.
"Because Libra is an air sign, using communication, mantras, or journaling can be excellent tools for manifestation," he shared. "Libra is also ruled by Venus, the planet of love, so using the color pink can be helpful. Using rose quartz, incense, or flowers can also aid you."
Yes, I could spray with DEET or permethrin. No, I'm not gonna...
HAPPY APRIL to all, and to all, a good day!
RE: Never