remnants

It feels almost like spring today, though they're predicting another cold spell this week. The sun is out, the sky is crisp and clear and blue, and there's a sense -- a welcome scent -- of renewal in the late February air.

But also, there's that particular forlornness that comes with the great mounds of snow and ice slowly melting away, leaving behind what was hidden underneath. Last fall's dead leaves. Bits of candy wrappers and illegible notebook pages and little girls' brightly colored hair ties. One red sneaker. One striped mitten. Drifts of cigarette butts.  Soggy train tickets. All the detritus that we lost during these dark winter months.