Long silent nights
Crisp clean air
Clear black skies.
Close bright stars.
High crystal Moon.

Blanketing snows.
Forgotten dreams.
Hibernating sleep.
Ice-filled winds.

Aching, slow change.
Loss of Vitality.
Struggles for breath.
Sharp, sudden Death.
Frozen and numb.
Shocked and alone.

Burdened evergreens withstand
Iced snowy layers.
Cardinals flash brightly.
Deer trek through the drifts.
Days slowly lengthen
With increasing Light.

Huddle with loved ones:
Consider transitions
And loss of control.
Ponder quick endings
Or gradual changes
Melted by time.

Store up on kernels
Of blessings and thanks.
Treasure the warmth
From unsought-after sources.
Peat from a bog,
Diamonds from coal.
Concern from a stranger,
Support from old friends.

Trust in the cycles –
Stagnation and death
Create spirals of growth.
Ravens are harbingers of
Rebirth in loss.

How do you stay warm when hit with a blizzard?
What do you do to cope with a loss?
With whom do you huddle when lonely and hurting?
Can you remain open-hearted
and not freeze from the pain?
What dreams will you hibernate with the flowers ’til spring?

February 2008