Winter

Fridged temperatures bite at exposed skin, Icy cold winds pull and tug on coats, looking for a way in. Naked trees expose their frozen bark, It has arrived and leaves a snowy mark. Silence deafens the ear as nothing stirs to make a sound, Bark clad skeletons stand all around. Seas of white are often found, Where blades of grass and flowers once covered the ground. Heavy snowfall filters sunlight to cast a temporary hue, As ice crystals divert wavelengths creating a landscape with a hint of blue. As the snow falls, it builds on the ground, Wrapping the terrain in a blanket of ice all around. Snowfall clings to branches with an icy grip, Holding steadfast where leaves have been stripped. Frozen moisture rides the wind and dances in the air, Creatures sense it coming and are keenly aware. Animals are hiding to escape its wrath, A semi-lifeless landscape is the aftermath. Formidable and nearly uninhabitable as it may be, Reptiles and amphibians hide underground, waiting to be set free. Birds go into hiding or shelter in place, Not able to fly with style and grace. They fluff their feathers to keep warm, A puffed-up pose is their sheltering form. Mammals burrow underground or nest in trees, They seldom venture into this environment to risk hypothermia or freeze. At the solstice it is at its peak, Days of warmth seem most distant and bleak. From this point forward, it starts to decay, Though still distant, Spring is on its way. Days grow longer and nighttime starts to diminish, Circadian rhythms change, waiting for it to finish. What once was frozen begins to thaw, And from their icy tombs, creatures begin to withdraw. More sunshine and rising temperatures are the kicker, When animals emerge from surviving another Winter.