The whisper of autumn Creeps beneath an open window, Contrasting heavily to the warmth Of a secluded soul taught By willow tree fingers Scraping against the mirror Of a lake frozen over And memories accidentally mixed With too much desire And not enough output That the cold should not be feared, For perhaps sometimes The most distasteful sensations Are the ones that remind us That we are still breathing them in, Alive and well enough To reside in our own skin.