That first Spring promise,
A blossom so vibrant,
Its ****** hues,
Shocking and gorgeous.

Then came Summer,
As love’s leaves matured,
The very air a caress,
Sunlight for nourishment.

Autumn arrived unbidden,
The cold nights unwelcome.
So I turned my back
On the shortening of days,
Looking instead, to far away hills,
Where the sun still kissed
Hay bales.

And then Winter,
Its sudden snap –
Whiplashed me to the present.
Loneliness made colder,
By memories of warmth.
An unabating frost,
That rid the world of taste,
Turning all existence,
To a single sheet –
And then it cracked.

I wandered the Tundra,
Starving beneath white fur,
Moaning to the memory,
Of seal and salmon fat –
The taste of life itself.
Hunger made deeper,
By the recollection of
Full stomachs.

And then, when it all seemed impossible,
Winter broke
And a thaw set in –
Petal once more
Defeating ice.