winter's beautiful melancholy

 
as winter moves in the mood cools
more melancholy & subdued
shades of mist & aching greys
Nature haunting in her demeanor
so chill in her bearing
the elegance of gentle decay
subtle touches of icy lace
just at the edges...not yet fully settled
snow flakes coating her pale flesh in iridescence
changing the air to sharp & biting
turning everything brittle
from desiccated leaves
to the marrow in my bones
as I burrow under covers
lighting incense & burning candles
anything to bring more light to the day
...further saturating my aching soul
reminiscing on a younger age
crunching through drifts as a kid
foam from hot cocoa adorning my upper lip
and the scent of wood burning in the stove
the crackle as tangible as the smell
this is her season
settling in with her mantle of endings
their weight spread across my soul
her frosty diadem shining upon her brow
diamonds falling from her crown
like crystalline tears of grief
I know death is the beginning of renewal
but it drags at my spirit
so hard I can barely move
heavy in her bearing
her skirts whisper as they brush across frozen ground
...an almost eerie sound
she inhales & exhales her last breaths of another year
the delicate grace of a final farewell