April Primary — Summary

Hans Ostrom’s “April Primary” turns the change of seasons into a playful political campaign. Winter is imagined as a politician whose long filibuster is finally fading into mumbles, while delegates nominate Spring. The first green shoots push through the soil like fingers casting a vote, and birds work the neighborhoods as natural politicians—chatty, well-groomed, and always ready with an impromptu speech. The speaker doesn’t stay neutral: by the last lines, they openly endorse Spring, saying it “has a lot of good ideas.” The mood is light, witty, and quietly optimistic. Instead of romanticizing April, the poem borrows the familiar noise of election season to capture the energy and relief of the world waking up. It feels like watching winter lose its grip and deciding, cheerfully, to side with the season of growth and change.