The Peepers

This is my first spring in Vermont. The seasons change a little later here than any other place I've spent spring. Its mid-May now, and we are due for a good frost tonight. This happens. In mid-April, the peepers came out, singing their song. Though I didn't know it until later, Dad says they were premature this year. We had an unusual warm spell at that time. The peepers' internal clocks got distracted, causing them to emerge early. I was on the deck playing guitar, which overlooks our small pond, when the first peeper sang this year. I heard the first peep of 2009 on this property. To me, it was the first peep anywhere for 2009. Then a beautiful din of peeps started, a lovely cacophony of love songs. I wanted to sing with them! So, I sang about them. I sang these words:

The peepers are out
The peepers are out
They're singing their song
They're singing their song
Its a spring, spring song
Its a spring, spring song

So now, nothing, nothing, can go wrong
So now, nothing, nothing, will go wrong

The peepers are out
Its almost a shout
They're singing so loud
Miles from any town

So now, nothing, nothing, can go wrong
So now, nothing, nothing, will go wrong

The peepers are out
The sun rays are out
There's nary a cloud
Miles from any town

Mother Nature, nature, is always right
Mother Nature, nature, feels so alright

The peepers are out
The peepers are out
They're singing their song
They're singing their song
Its a spring, spring song
Its a spring, spring song

Mother Nature, nature, is always right
Mother Nature, nature, feels so alright

And it feels so alright

I was feeling the peepers that day... & I should have felt their aural tonic for weeks. However, as the earth so often does, the earth did not comply with their boisterous beginnings. A short time later, hard freezes shut down the peeper operation. The singing stopped. I was sad that I had not had more time to sing with the peepers. I felt I should rewrite the song to describe over-zealousness. Us humans are not unlike those peepers. We often bite off more than we can chew, start a project with a paucity of pre-thought or would answer a question without knowledge rather than admit ignorance. These peepers should have known better. My May has been without their song. Because of that, paradoxically, I didn't change the words to reflect the situation. I sing it the way I first sang it; I do not want to forget the joy I felt singing with the peepers that mid-April day.