Waiting on Winter

The chilly morning air and a harsh reminder

It brandishes many knives, sharp and penetrating

Slashing and stabbing at my heavy coat

Hungrily trying to feed on each exhaled breath

The feeling of warmth nothing but energy

Bitter winds riding an express train

From a hidden station high in the mountains

Travelling at breakneck speed to join the fray

Searching for that opening, searching for skin

Releasing an epic assault, again and again

Tendrils of icy sky drop down from above

My body ground zero for a pre-winter war

A few strands of hair move endlessly

Dances aplenty under the howling music

The distraction another cause for caution

Strengthen the defenses, halt the advance

Zippers zippered, buttons buttoned

Velcro, well…velcroed and done very tightly

Hat pulled down and socks pulled up

Gloves and scarves no longer optional

Yet still the wind makes run after run

Attacking without provocation or concern

Alone I move through the darkness

Watching the horizon for hints of the sun

Admiring the amazing crystalline patterns

The frost that arrived with the night

My windshield a canvas, renewed each day

Images of snowflakes etched in cold

Powdery white patterns of perfection

Covering my lawn and the tree branches

Taunting me evermore with the reminder

That soon winter, and all its power, will be here

Dryness in the air and the smell of cold

White flakes, beautiful at first, wafting down

Relentlessly they’ll fall, snuffing the imagery

Descriptions change as the flakes keep falling

What was green, or grey, or brown, or black

Everything gives way to the blanket of white

Each snowflake unique in every way

Snowfalls coming soon, and coming to stay

Reminded by the winds as Fall fades away

The mental snapshot of everything around

Sticks inside my head as I watch and prepare

For the endless wave of white hitting the ground

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R J Schwartz

I write about everything and sometimes nothing at all.I'm fascinated by old things, rusty things, abandoned places, or anywhere that a secret might be unearthed.I'm passionate about history and many of my pieces are anchored in one concept of time or another.I've always been a writer, dating back to my youth, but the last decade has been a time of growth for me.I'm continually pushing the limitations of vocabulary, syntax, and descriptive phrasing.

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