Flowers (Symbol)
Limón describes a few kinds of spring flowers, contrasting them with green leaves. Crabapple tree blooms ("fuchsia funnels") appear in lines 1-2, and cherry blossoms in lines 3-4. In articles about this poem, Limón has also noted that yellow daffodils and forsythia were present on the street where she was inspired to write this poem. The flowers are consistently described as bright ("almost obscene display," "shock of white"), sweet ("cotton candy," "taffy"), active ("breaking out," "shoving"), and festive ("confetti"). But Limón sees this flashiness as too gaudy and too temporary; the flowers don't inspire the kind of hope the speaker is looking for. Instead, they symbolize short-lived hope and celebration that cannot last.
Leaves (symbol)
The "greening of the trees" described in this poem refers to new leaves, and these leaves are used as a symbol of human toughness or resilience. They are first a "green skin," starting the explicit comparison with people or animals, and later "a new slick leaf / unfurling like a fist." Because this "green skin" is "growing over whatever winter did to us," we imagine the leaves as a scab, or new flesh, growing over a wound. Unlike the flowers, these leaves appear strong and lasting. This is a potent metaphor for humanity's ability to "not give up," to overcome "mess" and "hurt," which are the central concerns of the poem.
