by Ann Wagner

Outside of my window,
past snow piled on the sill,
there’s a bright swatch of sunlight
on a smooth, snowy hill.

Can’t tell where the steps were.
Can’t tell flower beds from paths,
and no sign of the basin
where the birds take their baths.

But just past the oak tree
where the sun hits straight on,
there’s a small patch of brownness
that might be the lawn,

where six quail are pecking
and scratching about—
they’re helping the garden
to melt its way out.

Copyright © 2010 Ann Wagner. From the book Sharing the Seasons: A Book of Poems. Margaret K. McElderry Books. Reprinted by permission of the author.

About The Author

Ann Wagner earned her MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Arizona, and a Masters in Library and Information Science from San Jose State. Her poetry for children has appeared in children’s magazines including Hopscotch and Cricket, as well as anthologies selected by Lee Bennett Hopkins. She currently works as a Youth Services Librarian for the Santa Monica Public Library in Santa Monica, California, where she loves to use poetry, puppetry, and music in story times for the youngest patrons, and facilitates creative writing workshops for teens.

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