Winter I

Winter is closing in, so I offer the following...


Winter has come to stay
Hanging his coat and hat
Choosing a room to lay his head
Not the most welcome of guests
Though he won’t stay long
Preferring instead the town where you live
My truest love

Some years it seems he sits unasked
Removing his hat,
And at my kitchen table drinks coffee
As though catching up with an old friend
Before hurrying off to a house
Warmer and more forgiving of his visit
A corner house, perhaps
In your own little town

I ask each year,
“Will you carry a letter to my dearest love?”
But he always refuses, claiming
His pack is heavy with snows
Cold winds and ice
"No," he says, "I am only here for coffee."
But promises nonetheless
To write my love
On every snowflake
To which you give a welcome smile