An afternoon in winter

Winter strips life to the bones:

here are the trees of summer

with leaf, flower and fruit all gone.

Everything's clear.

There's a stillness in the air

I never heard in summer,

and, in this emptiness,

each ripple of life stands out.

I watch your breath.

And, when the music plays,

the skater spins her metaphor:

the world gives off its chill,

and you and I are balanced here
on a thin blade.

The spinning arms and legs

have come to rest.

The snow is deep. The night is near.

If my kiss doesn't warm you now,

it never will.

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