we’ve heard that winter is coming
who have seen the first buds of spring
soft nubs patiently pushed towards
the promised relief of shared warmth
now hesitant and still
unsure of the strength of the sun
trammeled by winds that will come
to strip the air from a birds song
and char the blades of infant shoots
hard won through a truculent earth
a flattening crystal chill from
empty howling mouths
beasts and braggarts purging
their mishapen hearts
paulhp poetry 