Cold

a gilded mirror-
reflections of other lives
from across the room
–
frosted windows-
fire reflected
in your eyes

well after midnight
christmas eve fire in the hearth
burning down to ash
–
a warm hearth-
ashes mix with
the falling snow

deep in the pine boughs-
a cardinal dusted with
the season’s first snow
–
winter solstice
the last leaf falls
on fresh snow

driving past the farm
hummocks of mulch lie steaming
in the morning sun
–
leafless trees-
mist rises above
the duck pond

winter is coming-
it seems only yesterday
the trees were in bloom
–
the forest-
awake under a
blanket of snow

with the rising sun
the smell of coffee clears the
cobwebs from my mind
–
smoldering campfire-
I blow on the
overnight coals

winter in the air-
unmown fields of autumn grass
yellowed by the sun
–
looking up-
snowflakes on
your lashes

freshly cropped farmland
the western sky glows amber
over the harvest
–
the setting sun-
threshed chaff
in the wind

your slow gentle breath
in the forest silver wolves
hold court with the moon
–
icy water-
the sound of blood
rushing in my ears

a dusting of snow
years of footfalls revealed in
the worn granite steps
–
an old slate roof-
heavy snow piles
up on the eaves