Ephemeral

Sometimes I get so lost inside my head 
I forget my feet touch the ground.   
I float through dark and clouded winter days, 
bewildered and adrift.

And then on one ephemeral day in May,
the trilliums beckon me like flags into the woods. 
I carefully step into myself and stand among 
the wild leeks my father loved so much. 
The sun pours down on me and the tiny violets 
that spill across the faded forest floor. 
Waves of yellow trout lily flowers sparkle 
and shine like galaxies of stars.

And in that moment of perfect grounding 
I realize it’s okay to be vulnerable 
yet still filled with the hope of myself,

and I too am able to 
reach my arms up to the sun 
as though the endless light that falls from it 
was meant for me alone.

---

In the Northeastern woodlands, ephemeral plants are the first messengers of Spring.  As the snow melts and the ground thaws, these hardy yet fragile short-lived plants sprout, grow, photosynthesize, bloom and spread their seeds in only a few weeks.  All of their work must be completed while there is still plenty of light before the deciduous maples, oak, birch and beech trees leaf out and shade the forest floor.  Once the early sunlight is less abundant, the above-ground foliage of the ephemerals dies out and they return to ground.

Spring ephemerals are essential members of the forest community.  They provide the first food for hungry early pollinators and contribute important nutrients to the soil when they decompose. Some ephemerals have also developed a mutually beneficial relationship with non-pollinating insects such as ants who distribute their seeds via a process called myrmecochory. Their seeds contain nutrients that are attractive to foraging workers who carry them back to the ant colony to feed larvae. Once consumed, the remains of the seed is discarded underground or ejected from the nest.

Sources:
Huang G, Su YG, Zhu L, Li Y. The role of spring ephemerals and soil microbes in soil nutrient retention in a temperate desert on JSTOR
Westfall, A. Spring ephemerals of the Lanark Highlands, April 2024  The Wild Garden
Wikipedia, Myrmecochory
Woodland Woman, Spring Ephemerals: A Guide to Early Season Wildflowers