Nobody heralded the arrival of winter this year.
Soon enough, days hang still
Here we are.
On the cusp, the trailing end of something.
Unannounced winter.
.
Leaden December sky,
Look west and see apricot sunshine
Spilling over everything.
Tell me your secrets here on the edge.
.
Tomorrow the children will gather here
The snow gone in the oak woodlands
In the valley, the first flower peeks skyward
The children gather up their dreams and desires
All through the green grass
They gather them up as fast as they can
For Winter lives here a while longer.
.
In the garden, a blue flower
Cobalt blue with a single black petal
Growing along the fence.
Do you remember?
.
Do you remember,
When we walked along the creek?
Finding that same flower, the single black petal
The children all grown up
Now eating chocolate,
Cobalt blue flower chocolate
While they live their dreams.
.
In the valley and through the oaks
We are still children
We gather up new dreams now
So that we might live them a little longer.
.
Recall a still December afternoon,
Leaden skies, painted apricot
There we found a piece of Springtime,
And gathered it up as carefully as we could
Packing it gently for the walk down the hill.
Shaken Rain 