Winter in the woods,
ritual meditation,
cobweb sticks catch
sloppy snowflakes,
Barred owls
incubate shapely eggs,
and a ruffed grouse
roosts in an evergreen;
his feathered nostrils
fanning away the chill.
Winter in the woods,
dawn is dormant,
short days refuse to rise,
branch-breaking winds
blow the day’s first whistle,
as songbirds congregate
to control their shivering.
Below, grubs secrete
sugary antifreeze,
crunchy desserts
for daring woodpeckers
seeking energy
to survive the long stillness.
Winter in the woods
for you I would survive
another season
full of this year’s
I told you so’s
and wish I coulds.
© 2022 | K.Hartless
Cover Artwork: Charles Burchfield
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
Leave a comment