Frank's poem begins with a simple observation: the days come in two kinds. Some are bright and sunlit, when the countryside seems alive without any effort. Others are grey, and the sky seems to drain the colour out of everything beneath it.
The second stanza turns on a single morning. The speaker cycles through a landscape that feels dead, yet notices gold lichen, burgundy brambles and, almost as an afterthought, the green of new grass. The phrase "and, yes" sounds like a small admission, as if the speaker is surprised to be proved wrong. The word "unnoticed" suggests this colour was there all along, waiting for someone to look closely.
The mood is quiet and gently hopeful. Nothing dramatic happens, but the poem suggests that even on a dull winter day, in the first week of a new year, life is still pushing through. The speaker seems pleased, and a little humbled, by what they almost missed.