Ridpath's poem is only three short lines, but it moves from gloom to relief. It begins with a plain statement: spring was delayed. The next line explains why, with rain washing the season out. Both lines are brief and flat, which makes the waiting feel heavy and a little discouraged.
Then the last line opens up. The smell of the sun brings back the speaker's energy and eases their pain. It's an interesting choice, since we usually think of sunlight as something we see or feel, not smell. The phrase suggests the warm, drying scent of the earth after a long wet stretch, though the poem doesn't spell that out.
The pain isn't explained, so it could be physical, emotional, or simply the weariness of a dreary season. The title, "Delayed Genesis," hints that spring's late arrival feels like a new beginning, a fresh start. The mood shifts from dull and low to quietly hopeful, like stepping outside after days indoors.