Winter

The ground is stiffened with a frozen embrace
Cold winds across the tattered earth do race
All is whitened and frosted and brittle at hand
Warmth is driven down deep in the land
Barren trees are but naked skeletons to behold
And the pines wear white scarves in the cold
Winter's birds search for the leftovers of harvest
And puff themselves to insulate from the cold's onset
In the sky crystals form and are driven by the breeze
Snowflakes flee and skiffle across the white freeze
But a January thaw gives a promise and hope
That spring will once again emerge on the slope

© Brian Wrixon