Cold – Page 10 – Iron Haiku

woodsmoke in the air-
frozen rain falling on the
dry autumn leaves
–
coals set to bed-
the crackle of sleet
lingers in my ears

the cool below ground-
laying in the winter stores
before the first snow
–
late autumn morn-
a taste of last june’s
strawberry jam

steel axe and wedges-
an awful lot of effort
for a pile of wood
–
first snow-
chipmunks bedded
in the wood pile

thanksgiving morning-
a rafter of wild turkeys
wander through my yard
–
november frost-
a fresh dusting
of fallen leaves

sputtering neon-
piles of rags weakly lit by
the staccato glow
–
november night-
threadbare blankets
in the doorway

softly falling rain-
I finally let you go
for your sake and mine
–
glass in his hair-
a husband waits
in anguished silence

an incoming storm-
thunderclouds vent their anger
on an iron sea
–
hard driving rain-
waves break against
barnacled pilings

laughter in the air-
mittens and scarves skating past
closed curio shops
–
bistro tables-
bohemian couples
on the grass

stripped down to the waist
sledgehammer and splitting maul
ringing in the sun
–
hazy starlight-
woodsmoke drifts
through the trees

a circle of flame
swirls deep inside the furnace
working overtime
–
rushing water-
the promise
of warmer feet