The rains come heavy
often every side
and you might dance
like Instagram cushions suggest
or you might just gaze
through eighties music video panes
I ain’t missing you at all

Afterwards though
the sodden ground dilemma,
paths erased
muddied water
that flows regardless
while your boots lose home

I lay in bed on a cold winter night
memories flood through me no matter how hard I might
might try to forget, its 4:42
and all I can think about is you..

Regret tears at my heart
I want to talk to you again, but I'm not sure where to start
You said you needed me, you told me you'd change
The last thing I expected was for you to fade away

You said I was enough, you told me you loved me
The time we spent together was anything but lovely
And now I'm drifting off to a world without you.

winter solstice comes
bare trees, long hibernation
~ don’t risk bleeding lips

gardens lie fallow
field mice attempting entry
~ long dark frigid nights




Mark Toney © 2021

All that I am
is a snowy mountain

Desolate,
carrying a heavy burden
that people call snow

Aching in one place
for an entire season

Longing for
a little warmth
without the risk of love

Love burns me,
and all I ask
for is warmth  

To melt,
I wish to melt
completely

Perhaps,
I will fall in love with
the sun this winter

Or die trying

Why does the Earth turn so slow?
Why do seasons change, where do they go?
Wherever it be, just let them know:
Winters were never the same since I lost my Snow

But they won't hear, they won't know
And to their will, I must bow low
Words shall vainly escape my throat:
Winters were never the same since I lost my Snow

They will echo through air, they will echo and groan
Flying up high, themselves they'll show
To God and Heaven, they'll pray and moan:
Winters were never the same since I lost my Snow

Winter bows his grisly head
when the trees bend low
Branches bear the heartless weight
of the ice and snow

Ponds turn into frosted glass
and diamond streams to jewels
Rivers turn to mirrored roads
and lakes to sapphire pools

Echoed cries of banished fowl
plead for hopeful spring
Not until the March wind blows
will the warbler sing

Winter's night of cold and dark
slowly turns to day
when the glaze and snowy drifts
gently melt away

New spring lifts her waking head
when the sun grows neigh
Buds and blooms unfurl with joy
reaching for the sky

little glowing flakes
blissful and divine
snow glistens into my bright blue eyes
the beauty of simplicity
of a simple blank white canvas
means winter is upon us

Winter brings sights that warm the heart,

As we observe with wit and patience,
Among its seasonal growing population
It is as if winter brings forth an entire nation
Of many species and their relations.

Take for example our feathered friends
Who busy themselves amidst their clans.
Bright feeders that are placed about extend
Needed food and give the birds a helping hand.

But, by their work, they retain their dignity;
As they go about their important activities.
Yes, among our lovely birds we see
Their busy lives, filled with such industry.

And, by these things we see their poetry.