They come to me in winter
In the experience of their discontent,
Longing for something,
Hoping for more…

I listen as they describe the cold,
As they experience their inner storm,
And I enter their longing,
Hoping with them…

Together we explore the frozen terrain.
We unearth treasure once buried
For its own protection.
Together we hike high mountains.
We breathe the air once disallowed
For various reasons.
We traverse valleys in the shadow.
We huddle, reassuring one another,
For all are in some need.

We watch with part trepidation
As the freeze begins to thaw,
We tread carefully,
Lest we skate over some place
Where the ice is thin.
We peer into that fragility cautiously,
For we are unsure of what lies beneath,
As the day of winter’s onset
Has been lost to us.

Together we ask the difficult question.
Together we seek the harder answer.
Together we search the worlds,
Thinking, longing, hoping
For something more…

And as through veiled passages
We continue our observation,
Together we see the streams begin to flow.
We take note as the trees bud,
As the crocus pops through the metallic
Cloak above the ground.
We herald the tulips and the daffodils,
And sit in wonderment
At the arrival of spring.

Copyright 2017. L.L. Shelton.