Six More Weeks of Winter

Six More Weeks of Winter

A poem dedicated to mothers and fathers who grieve the loss and suffering of their children. Lord, have mercy.

An icy, gnarled claw

Grips our valley, homes, our land.

Unprejudiced, be damned,

Be young, be old, have all, have none.

Piercing wind blows through

Windowpanes turned masterpiece

Bitterness and beauty kiss

In one breathtaking gust.

A seasonal haven forsaken,

Becomes a seasonal desert.

Groaning under her winter weight

She speaks to those who hear.

Heads low, eyes down.

Men scurry door to door

Seeking respite from the cold

Seeking hope and seeking home.

So is the winter of the soul

A heart encased in grief.

An unrelenting claw

Comes tearing at my peace.

My breath taken without consent

In awe of life, shocked by death.

Where is my home? Where is my hope?

My respite from the cold?

My groaning will not cease

Until springtime thaws the freeze,

Until hope reveals its face,

And death has lost its sting.