To Resist Temptation
by Mark Fleisher

If in winter's bone-chilling grasp
might I plead for an early spring
should a genii grant me one wish
a possibility laden with temptation
a temptation I must repel for
one must have a mind of winter
While spring offers renewal
bathed in green, bathed in pastels
it is winter that tempers our bodies
steels our minds to confront
the season's mundane challenges
Freeing the windshield of ice
when a scraper shatters in your grip
Shoveling the driveway ankle deep
in snow and curse words freeze
in the icy air when the blower
decides to take an unscheduled siesta
Yet I find solace in this barren landscape
a doe and her young leaving hoof prints
in the night's deposit of white powder
The orange of the fire I sit before
with a mug of cocoa and my arm around
the woman I cherish in all seasons for
one must have a mind of winter