The early morning moon

Meets the cold like an old lover

And there’s a warm ball in my chest

Bouncing with the beauty of being alive

Miracle and tragedy intertwine

Under serenity and a soft blue sky

And I am struck by how joy, tinged in gold

Is somehow enough for us…

That was a few weeks ago,

When the cold nipped but did not bite

Like it was trying to draw blood.

Now the early morning is moonless

And my fingers are rosy with feeling.

The sky leans into darkness all day,

As though it forgot how to give us a silver lining

Everything feels too much; I forget to breathe…

That was some days ago,

When I wanted to cry but couldn’t,

And the world outside was the same.

Now I am waiting for some bliss

In all this frozen earth, hard-packed and bitter.

I am listening for the sky to be light and dewy

And for life to be beautiful, if not kind,

And for good laughs to outweigh the bad…

That was yesterday’s evening,

When I was full of sorrow, but the hopeful kind.

The bare branches were set against wind

And the wind was set against me,

And I waited for the late night moon:

A crescent to catch my cold mind, and melt it.

This wintering of my heart hurts so sweet.

Let life thaw me out again…