After the Storm

Savage whims of winter that bring freezing rain unrestrained in a sky re-grouping flaired forceful with the cold Ice coated, leaf-less trees that bend like old men over their canes Trees from an underworld, frigid brutally hobbled by their rich, new coating Maple trees, heavy that seem to weep with worry Glaze baked into branches that gleam in sober sunlight like a church lit by candles Ice that flickers with sorrow and beauty a crystal knave inviting awe and repulsion for sheeted frost that veils the landscape Refracted light, glistening to fill the cramped chill of winter Still life stiffened that crackles and hisses when the wind blows An icy, lush world that loiters in our minds, stealthily to shimmer in our slumber Poem composed: December 17, 2020