Winter Comes Early

Winter came early… Its heavy coat Sealing in the cold The sky More visible Its view not the same The blue faded gray With distance in charge And the wind The wind never stops The wind Never whispers Like in summer Sneaking up from behind Touching your neck Reclaiming your soul The winter wind Pushes and shoves With its fury Knowing its time Is not limitless Frozen in desperation Winter comes early When thoughts cannot let go And holds on tightly Until the past says Goodbye Forcing you Into the gray dawn And the grayer noon And the earlier And earlier Night Sacrificing your Reluctance For a chance To be free For that one Opening To see What’s never been there You close your eyes And step Into the frigid wind Arms extended skyward Holding nothing back Staring into The face of death Asking for life Looking beyond An eternity of doubt To that place you can Return That place you now Remember As winter came early —again (Villanova Pennsylvania: March, 2017)