And then one day
the sun came out,
just for one instant
insignificant
to any who did not
seek it desperately.

And in that moment
a warmth was felt,
not yet a heat
but a hint
a memory
of past summers.

And when it ended,
and the cold returned
to bite the hearts
that had let themselves thaw,
relinquishing the numbness,
winter gained another inch.