During February’s brief thaw come gentle days when we gather pussy willow sprays and dream of the green season.

Gladys Tabor (suggested by R.N.)

EPHEMERIS FOR THE FIRST WEEK OF EARLY SPRING
     The Singing Cardinal Moon enters its final quarter at 4:37 p.m. on February 16, then it wanes through the week, turning into the Shining Grackle Moon on February 24 at 8:35 p.m. Rising after midnight and setting around noon, this darkening moon is overhead in the morning, calling grackles back to Yellow Springs. Also on the 24th, the sun reaches a declination of nine and a half degrees, and that is 60 percent of the way to spring equinox.
    The last days of Late Winter were marked by two messages, one from Rick Donahoe, who wrote on February 10, “Who cares if the DOW lost 400 points today, I saw my first groundhog before noon.” The following day, Ed Oxley called from Earth Rose on the same day he called last year. “I’ve got snowdrops blooming all over,” said Ed.

NOTES ON 25 YEARS OF ALMANACKING: SINGING WORM WEEK
    One of the first events planned by my 1984 newspaper column was the celebration of Singing Worm Week. The idea for this observance came to me when a friend gave me some verses on singing worms, and I decided, after reading them, that more would certainly be better.
    In calling for singing worm poetry, I explained to my readers that as the ground warms toward 40 degrees, earthworms become active and begin to use their beautiful voices to celebrate the season. At least, that’s what some people say.
   At any rate, I received a couple of answers to my call. In order to appreciate these verses, one vocabulary note may be helpful. An “annelid” is a member of a large class of segmented worms. There, so now you’re ready. Here’s the first poem, which explores the multifaceted dimensions of worm melodies:

It is quiet, it is hid:
The singing of the annelid.
Some are sweet, some are bittah:
Choruses of annelidah.

    People are often surprised at night by singing worms. The following verse tells about such an experience:

All through the night, the sounds did swell
Like teeny voices from heav’n or hell.
I crept up to the garden wall
And peered inside, my ears a-ringing:
Oh my! I saw ‘twas WORMS a singing!

    In addition to being good singers, worms are quite smart. The worm’s analytic or annelidic ability is celebrated in the following:

Now let’s salute the thinking worm:
His annelidics make me squirm!

    Worms continue to sing throughout the spring and summer. Hopefully, today’s readers will listen and will submit appropriate singing worm verses. Send your poetry to Poor Will, P.O. Box 431, Yellow Springs, OH 45387 or to wfelker@woh.rr.com. Two dollars will be paid to the author of any verse printed in this column.