Spring Fling Kid Lit 2023

Here's my entry, and self-illustrated gif, for the #SpringFlingKidLit contest, hosted by Ciara O'Neal and Kaitlyn Leann Sanchez. Make sure to check out all the entries here!

SATURN RINGS IN SPRING

...148 words

While Earthlings welcome spring,
proud of surviving another cold season,
Saturn watches, shivering.

Jealous.

“Your winter’s over already?!”
moans the King of Rings.
“Lucky!”

Far out amongst the giants,
Saturn’s trip around the Sun takes a 
looooooong 
time–
Earth makes 29 orbits
for each ONE of his–
so his winter is 
looooooong
too.

Seven Earth years’ worth of 
cold
quiet
darkness
exaggerated by the shadow of his own rings.

But then–
finally–

LIGHT!

Precious sunlight kisses his North Pole for the first time
since fall began!
“That’s fourteen Earthling years, if you’re counting. But..”

“I MADE IT TO SPRING!”

Saturn slips on his sunglasses,
eager for...

Hurricane-force winds!
“Feel that breeze?”

A hexagonal storm wider than three Earths!
“The power!!”

And his favorite part:
a crown of spectacular,
space-tacular
Northern Lights.

“You’re cute, Earth,”
says Saturn.
“But keep your bunnies, breezes, and buttercups.
I’M the king of spring!”