An Ode to Winter

My winter mother, sad in her spring...
She becomes as sterile as fire,
Whose evil touch changes beauty into ashes,
So how can she not envy?
She knows only cold, the frightening hands
That leave my lips blue and my body aching.

Somehow, though,
I love her.
Fast at play with all those who surrender
Yes, to her stronger hold
I allow her whispers to ease me
Tease me
Push me aside to challenge what might I'm cultivating this season.

While it's true, her presence makes us less warm,
It unites us by the chimney,
Firewood chats and neck scarves- symbolic,
Like an intoxicating need to come closer,
To reveal our minds and hearts after a year,
And how I love the laughter those nights hold.

Oh white-faced woman,
Make your home
Teach your children to persevere
Not to fear the discipline of your touch, your season, your frozen wisdom,
We do learn,
I do learn,
Learn to yearn to see you,
To hear you knocking at my window,
Smiling kind, inviting me to change the roads of diverse footsteps,
For yor trust isn't sterile, no.
It is fruitful when her sky cries and our streets freeze
Your cold love reminds me how I've grown like Earth,
Steming into wisdow, feeling euphoria's high
Blooming, simply, of new thoughts
I am one season closer to who I can be,
And you, lovely one, are what you selflessly are to nuture, nothing more.

These memories of winter lullabye the world to sleep,
A greater friend through a lower-heated night,
Who has a story, spoken
Having left her ghostly fingerprints on top our land's surface
I will collect this beauty, Oh winter mother
For what you have made cold,
Moves us to warmth
And in those moments,
We've laughed
We've shared
We've loved
We've grown
You have dared to make us human,
Moving our kind home,
Where we are friends and family in the middle of life's storm.   

2009