The drama and poetry of spring

The daffodils are out. Crocus are pushing through the hard, brown earth. There are pots of pansies on the steps and in window boxes. The vernal equinox, marking the first day of spring, arrived on March 19 at 11:06 p.m. Eastern Standard Time. The weather was appropriately springlike.

Then, with a vengeance, the weather changed. Last week, on one of those days, when it was necessary to don, once again, a fur lined coat, wool hat, lined gloves, and a scarf, I attended a Verdi opera at the Metropolitan Opera. La Forza del Destino first premiered at the Imperial Theatre in St. Petersburg in 1862 and then in Milan at the Teatro alla Scala in 1869, in a revised version. La Forza is a “grand and tragic” opera, four hours in length, and filled with love, death, political intrigue, war, and a world on the verge of apocalypse.

The wind blew across the plaza at Lincoln Center as I approached the theater. It was as cold as it has been all winter. This production of La Forza del Destino was a new staging, following a revised production that had been introduced in 1993. I am always curious about how classical opera is being reimagined and wanted to attend this production. Although I’m not certain what month it was first produced in Russia, I expect it might have been when the weather was cold, after all it isn’t exactly a summer themed tale. All I could think about was the drama of the weather, as I shivered in the dark, cold night as I left Lincoln Center.

Perhaps the one consolation of cool March weather is my longing for French toast prepared with warmed New Hampshire maple syrup. Sugaring off parties are held when there is still snow on the ground, so the corn snow brought from the deep woods then covered with hot syrup that quickly becomes candy.

Hopefully we have had enough “drama” and next weekend the weather will be warm enough for egg hunts and sunrise services. Celebrating Easter in March is unusual and only happens every few years. Seems odd that Easter Monday and April’s Fools Day fall on the same day.

April is one of my favorite month’s as it is recognized as National Poetry Month. This year New Hampshire Public Radio is asking residents to send them a poem “with the memory of a place you’ve visited, a spot you often return to, or a hidden gem here in New Hampshire.” The poems, by a poet other than yourself, can be sent to voices@nhpr.org. Perhaps the poem you select will be read on the air or posted online. I encourage you to consider sending a poem and perhaps include a photograph of the special place in New Hampshire it represents for you. The submission deadline is Sunday, April 23.

Happy Spring.

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Elizabeth Howard is the host of the Short Fuse Podcast, found on Spotify, Apple Podcasts or through the Arts Fuse. Her career intersects journalism, marketing, and communications. “Ned O’Gorman: A Glance Back,” a book she edited, was published in May 2016. She is the author of “A Day with Bonefish Joe,” a children’s book, published by David R. Godine. You can send her a note at: eh@elizabethhoward.com.