Unfolding

.
Clenched.

Its top a curled-up finial,

Striated with folded future fronds.

Vermillion, the color of a beating heart,

Or a rosy tongue out to catch a snowflake:

Fuzzy fiddlehead unfurls;

Connected by a lean, strong arched back,

Tentacles opposite one another,

Look like curling arms:

An eager caterpillar

Awaiting Mother Nature’s embrace.

So many changes ahead:

Red turning to green,

Worm-shaped fronds fill into

Full, lush, verdant, delicate leaves,

Ready for the Sun,

The wind,

The rain:

A fern leaf unfolds.