Winter's Rise

as wind slowly, silently, stirs dry grass forest ruminants eye darkening skies sniffing for the scents of Winter’s warning watch the fading “V’s” - distant disguise. once dappled fawns stand tall now tawny alert to changes in the forest’s tone urgency replaces Summer’s idyll leafs red alert of warning wildly blown. cricket violins fall coldly silent the dragon and the butterflies called home turtles abandon logs for mud bank nest gnarled trees embrace the fate of stoic gnome. burrowers and builders peer from retreats as thinly spreads this crust of Winter’s bite chasing the sap of life within its core hoarfrost to tinge the soul in black and white. chilled stealth of ice reclaims the rippled pond swans beauty - fades to black - dots in the sky hawks ride the frigid winds of Winter’s rise I store my kayak paddle with a sigh. John G. Lawless ©10/8/2018