In the wheel of Earth’s years
we watch as Autumn’s clock
Tick-tocks in tiny goldenrod
September petal’d seconds
Frosty trees bleed scarlet hours
through veins of October leaves
Amber minutes wither and fall
drifting in November’s breeze
And the silent strike of midwinter
turns December’s snowflake gears
bee-buzzed blooms
wilt white into winter —
hellish heavy heat
silently softens to snow —
lovely lustrous leaves
fall freckled in frost —
senescent slanting sun
solstices southward —
the young year yules
dizzily debarks december
Welcome, Winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but
P.S. Thank you to all who let me know about King Features Syndicate and USA Today using this for their “Cryptoquote” on
earth dreams of spring
in her winter slumbers
she dozes on and off —
then trembles wide awake
a silent green earthquake
moonlit winter trees
bare branches paint gray shadows
ghostly risen roots
great horned christmas caroling owl
crooning to a nearly full cold moon—
aromatic firewood smoke dancing
with chill desert air and winter stars—
people holidaying with indoor trees
oblivious to nature’s nighttime party
Winter is a lean, scrappy fighter. Spring blossoms from the sweat
winter and spring overlap at the seams—
chilly breezes and warm green dreams!
The color of springtime is in the flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.
P.S. Thanks so much to everyone who let me know about USA Today and King Features Syndicate using this quote for their “Cryptoquote” on December 3rd. That’s pretty cool! They actually left out a small portion and quoted it as “The color of springtime is flowers; the color of winter is in the imagination.” —tg, 2022
icicles are daggers of beauty
thrown by winter’s sunshine breath
Why does cold weather refresh old griefs?
More quiet for reflection?
Longer nights to lie awake?
Like citrus, grief is a winter fruit.
In Phoenix, Jack Frost doesn’t nip — he just tickles.
learn from leaves
green is go —
yellow & red
slow down, stop
take time to rest