March is the month of awakening. It is the month of the first rays of warm sunshine, of the first flowers, the vernal equinox, and of festivals. As a kid, we were introduced to the very concept of Spring (which is near non-existent in South India) through the work of English poets. We grew up knowing all about daffodils even though we had never seen one. March is the month of daffodils (as I discovered now while looking for Verseday poetry). March is when we have Holi, Easter, St Patrick’s Day, Higan, and the Jewish Passover. It’s a time of fresh beginnings and celebrations.
So, against the backdrop of the daffodils here is a poem by 20th century Spanish poet Antonio Machado, who died at the very young age of 36. But during this brief span he wrote numerous poems, one of which am featuring here. It’s the third one from a Selected Poems anthology, and it describes an afternoon in March where he sits in solitude. Enjoy!
