As you gaze into the darkness,
To the nightingale's song listening,
Be still for but a moment;
In the shadows, see the glistening.
For though the flowers dream,
And the trees no longer sway,
This garden does not sleep
In the absence of the day.
See them twinkling 'tween the grass blades,
Watch them dancing in the air,
Hear them sing to one another
With no voice, nor sound, nor care.
The blinding love of fireflies;
So soft and yet so strong.
Proof that, e'en through darkness,
Love's gentle glow burns on.

- p. winter

You're the hummingbird, storms tried to wreck her!
And you're scarred by the thunder's black sectre.
Fighting battles unseen,
Stronger than you seem,
Yet you feel unworthy of nectar.

You're the robin whose breast lights morn!
Calming as a rose without thorn.
With voice so harmonic,
Powerfully euphonic,
Yet silenced by imag'nary bourn.

You're a crow black as sin unabsolved!
A mystery no one tried to solve.
You were never shown love
By the white of a dove
And your anger has ne'er been resolved.

You're the image of swan-like grace!
Purity is etched into your face.
Embroidered with elegance,
You dance with white innocence.
But you're yearning to flee from this place.

You're an eagle hatched just for the skies!
With fierceness to blind naked eyes.
Feathers ablaze,
Wings burning sun rays,
Yet too scared of falling to fly.

You're the pow'r of the mighty condor!
With the force of an army at war.
Strength of the night,
Armour black with neck white,
Yet feeling too weak to soar.

You're the birds of the darkness and light!
You're swans white and crows black as night.
But you're so scared of falling,
You're deaf to your calling.
My dear, you were made for flight!

- p. winter

Some people are afraid of spiders
Because they've felt fangs in their skin and the venom in their veins.
And they say the way to cure it
Is to caress the eight gentle legs and learn to trust the eight gentle eyes.
Some people fear the sea
Because they've felt the air leave their lungs, believing it'll never come back.
And they say the way to cure it
Is to let one's body be embraced by the tide and embrace the love of its waves in return.
Some people fear the dark
Because they know what hides within the absence of light and they've heard what goes bump in the night.
And they say the way to cure it
Is to turn off all the lights and touch the shadows. Finding the beauty in the ignorance of what happens around them.
But you, brave soul,
Do not suffer from arachnophobia, aquaphobia or nyctophobia.
Only one terror controls your life, daring you to face it.
For you, my friend
Fear love.
Because you have been broken
Time and time again
By those who said they loved you.
And the only way to cure it
Is to fall so deeply
That you forget the spider bites, the rising tide, and to turn on the light at night.
But mostly you will forget all those that hurt you.
And your heart
Will be free
To love
Unconditionally.

- p. winter