“Stop the car!”
My father,
slamming on the brakes,
at my mother’s exhortation,
sent we three young children
forward into the heavy padding
of our Country Squire station wagon’s front seat.
I do not remember how upset my father was at the outburst
or how long it took to shake off the startling stop.
What I remember vividly is my mother’s face
beaming as she rolled down the window
and peered into a neighbor’s front yard.
There,
a flock of robins
bobbed up and down,
their red breasts jutting out as they righted themselves
between stabs at the thawing lawn,
all in search of seed.
Robins, a harbinger of spring,
still pull me up short
when I spy
the flash of a red breast
or hear the robin’s song
quilt the air on an early spring morning.
A Reading Life 
It was so unexpected to find out that the urgent stop was for a pleasant reason. What a nice surprise- I don’t think I’ve ever seen more than one or two robins at once- a flock must have been a sight to see.
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How delightful and what a memory. I love robins and I love the way you’ve retold, especially the last line!
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Bursting with beauty. Such a timely flashback as we greet first moments of spring.
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I am thinking of you now as a poet…four in a row. I just reread them all and I love them all!
Thanks for sharing!
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Is it a universal truth for many mothers to be doting bird-watchers? I was inspired by this line, “robins, a harbinger of spring.” Thank you for sharing this memory. I agree with Sally- I will be using your poems as mentor texts!
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You are inspiring me to write some poetry…beautiful work, Beth! I am going to miss my spring bird songs now that we are returning to the classroom.
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