Winter Stillness
by Gretta Barclay

Out my kitchen window, all is quiet
In midwinter darkness before dawn
Not a bird or rabbit about
Although, footprints in the snow
Show that they are nesting nearby
Hibernating like bears
Bundled together against the snow

Even the wind is not stirring the trees
All is frozen and still
The sun is not yet visible
But light below the gray sky
Gives promise for the day

The brown shrubs and stubs
Stick up from the ground
Where in the spring
Green leaves and flowers abound

But not today

The prairie grass has not yet
Shed its ashen brown
And this one color is still around
Along with the fir and birch trees
Which give some delight
Their needles and trunks green and white

The chickadees that play in my bushes
Have gone
Their urge to flee feels just like mine
But on my kitchen windowsill
Are the paperwhites I planted in early December
Blooming for the first time today
A ray of sunshine comes my way
And now, with joy, I begin my winter day.



 

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