Green buds peep out of the Stone cold earth Defiant Rearing their heads to the sun, their leaves unfurl Stretching from a long winter's nap Longing to ascend to the brightest point in the sky Or to be the next best thing Colors develop, going from Light verdigris to Translucent periwinkle to Show-stopping magenta In a couple of days Their petals The most delicate of velvet Like stroking a butterfly's wing And as their beauty transforms the world from unforgiving To something magical I sneeze.