Autumn gone to winter
oak leaves now mantled
by a white blanket
that fell over night
first accumulating snowfall
cold raindrops sliding freezing
to slicken tree trunks and roads
until flakes finally formed
to weigh down cedars coat lime
green hedge balls until
they look rolled in fine sugar
become a hundred snowballs
beneath barelimbed trees

woodpeckers hammer
utility poles and a lone gull
flashes black tipped wings
above lacy fields’ corn stalks
punctuating pale stretches
blades of winter wheat tiny dots
icy green reminders
imbued with hope that after winter
all will be caught up in another shedding
as earth moves into its spring

the woman’s body growing
a bit colder as leaves fell
brown bits underfoot the stuff
of memories and yesterdays
so that come this snow
she sets out to make new
tracks an explorer of her own
being caught up in the now
boot and hoof prints marching
into the woods both woman
and animal never knowing
how many springs they’ll see