Buried in the leaves of a Fall gone by,
memories wait for Spring

Entombed in hope as Winter reclaims,
till birds return to sing

Cold and dark, the seeds of change,
lay dormant ill disposed

Snow is falling, the wind blows hard,
escape routes all but closed

Hearing new footsteps walking above,
the weight compressed and strained

My sentence malingers, time frozen deep
—the cold to ease the pain

(Dreamsleep: February, 2021)