Darkness creeps in like a stealthy burglar,
Uninvited, filching surreptitiously, the treasured light.
Icy winds whip dying leaves to frenzied contortions
Leaving trees bare. Skeletons stark against the night.
A fox, oft brazenly fearless, now afraid to leave its lair,
Earth, once softly pliable, rigidly denying the deer’s imprint.
Grey clouds looming, buoyed aloft on ubiquitous icy air.
Soon the snow begins to fall, clothing the land in a splendid dress
Of white organza, protecting hibernating animals below.
Frozen lakes sparkle in the rising sun, mist slowly rises in distress.
Crunch of boots upon the snow, farmers search for animals lost,
Footprints scarring the pristine blanket laid assiduously over night.
Daylight fades without warning, icy jewels adorn the frost.
Winter’s long, incessant journey slows nature’s timepiece to a creep.
Spring is but a distant longing in the hearts of those who sleep.