The start of the spring always puts me in a poetic and contemplative mood. I took this picture of branches in bloom two years ago and it has been waiting for a long time for a suitable poem to complement it. Today I found it and together they make the perfect combination- hope you`ll enjoy this beautiful poem by Khalil Gibran – a celebration of sun, warmth, love and peace.

Peace Contagious

One branch in bloom said to his neighboring branch, “This is a dull and empty day.” And the other branch answered, “It`s indeed empty and dull.”

At that moment a sparrow alighted on one of the branches, and the other sparrow nearby.

And one of the sparrows chirped and said, “My mate has left me”. And the other sparrow cried, “My mate has also gone and she will not return. And what care I?”

Then the two birds began to twitter and scold, and soon they started fighting and making harsh noise upon the air.

All of a sudden two other sparrows came sailing from the sky, and they sat queetly beside the restless two. And there was calm, and there was peace.

Then the two pairs flew together in pairs.

And the first branch said to its neighboring branch, “That was a mighty zig-zag of a sound”. And the other branch answered, “Call it what you will, it is now both peaceful and spacious. And if the upper air makes peace it seems to be that those who dwell in the lower might make peace also. Will not wave in the wind a little nearer to me?”

And the first branch said, “Oh, perchance, for peace`s sake, ere the Spring is over.”

And then he waived himself with the strong wind to embrace her.