Crystal icy tendrils cover and hang
from sepia frozen appendages
to dormant umber ghostly setinels
while mother's tears still fall as frigid peas.

As i'm slogging along from hearth and home
down these treacherous winding thuroughfares
to fulfill my everyday drudgery
so the pitances will fill coffers still.

I pass by these forests in winter's garb
into fields of beige and brown dead fallen grains
where dingy white still blankets all that was
and shadows keep it from melting away.

the solitary warmth and comfort be
that after repeating this dreary path
i'll come back again to the loving care
of she that blesses my life as my wife.

On tomorrow morn once again i'll go
and then return through this winter sojourn
until this cold season of drab grey days
succombs to springtime warmth and flowers bloom.