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
—Terri Guillemets
winter
Whirlwind
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
—Terri Guillemets
Winter’s moon & ash tree
Doppelgänger
moonlit winter trees
bare branches paint gray shadows
ghostly risen roots
—Terri Guillemets
Cozy
hiding in my winter cocoon
not coming out again until June
—Terri Guillemets
Autumn’s clock
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
—Terri Guillemets
Autumn’s wake
leaves dancing
in a brisk breeze
on an almost-bare tree
joyous at autumn’s wake
they tremble, ready
to be free, to sleep
with past seasons —
dying, they celebrate
the awakening of winter
—Terri Guillemets
In loss still they dance!
the leaves all dance
to the same breeze —
but some flutter and some fall
some shiver and some sway —
and when a gust comes
they lose themselves —
but are no less beautiful
on the ground, where resting
they still yet dance, but free
—Terri Guillemets
Barely knowing
Spring and summer come with a lush layer of foliage over reality, but when things start falling away in the autumn and get bare and stark in the winter we’re forced to look at things more as they really are, including ourselves.
—Terri Guillemets
Tilted
Earth tilts toward Winter
my heart goes tilty too
the summer-fever cools
to a more reflective hue
—Terri Guillemets
Feuille morte
dried crackling leaves
though dead
are never quite still
—Terri Guillemets
Blend & blur
late winter and early spring blend and blur
in pleasant days and chilly nights
penetrating sun and gentle cool breezes
with stirrings of life, subtle and green —
mornings that light ever earlier rouse us, but
sunsets that still come in evening’s youth lull
—Terri Guillemets
Desert winter departing
early February in the desert —
the sun is springtime warmth
the breeze, winter’s leftovers
—Terri Guillemets
Memories shiver
Why does cold weather refresh old griefs?
More quiet for reflection?
Longer nights to lie awake?
Like citrus, grief is a winter fruit.
—Terri Guillemets
Muted striations
sand-dust with cream
intensely mauve’d rust
velvety blue-grey-indigo —
layers of early winter’s
desert dawn horizon
—Terri Guillemets
The fall of October
October’s autumn
casts a gentle light
and a calm serenity
before the stark
barrenness of winter
is born to November
—Terri Guillemets
Green grace
As Earth sways us from winter to spring
Nature begins her grace of glorious green
—Terri Guillemets
Seamless
the vibrant green-yellow-pink blossom-life of spring
the watery-blue radiant sunshine-breath of summer
the metallic-earth-toned glowing-decay of autumn
the grey-white holly-festive slow-motion of winter
—Terri Guillemets
Anticipation
It’s peeking round the corner
Playing hide and seek
I see its icy fingers
A frost’d rosy cheek
Days fall ever shorter
Autumn’s air is chilling
Warmth no longer lingers
Wild things are stilling
—Terri Guillemets
Branching
this winter afternoon
i stare between bare
branches of gray trees
in the distance i see
an unreturnable past
or a dwindling future
i can’t tell which but
the silence is sublime
—Terri Guillemets
Chilly bedtime thoughts
Winter is the slow-down
Winter is the search for self
Winter gives the silence we need to listen
Winter goes gray so we can see our own colors
—Terri Guillemets
Winter art
icicles are daggers of beauty
thrown by winter’s sunshine breath
—Terri Guillemets
Welcome, Winter
Welcome, Winter. Your late dawns and chilled breath make me lazy, but
—Terri Guillemets
P.S. Thank you to all who let me know about King Features Syndicate and USA Today using this for their “Cryptoquote” on
Soul warmth
Hot coffee and cold winter mornings are two of the best soul mates who ever did find each other.
—Terri Guillemets
Lit de mort coloré
Autumn leaves blaze their swan song of color and wait for Winter to wipe the slate clean.
—Terri Guillemets