JANUARY SNOWS

First comes the thaw.

A heartless tease from a gentle breeze,

bringing showers and hours of warm.

No storm in site; just the right temperature

to make a nice White Christmas

a fond memory. Every sensory stimulus

is less provoking as I stand, choking back

my enthuiasm. A wide chasm between

reality and what I know to be an illusion.

It is this intrusion of this lake; unfrozen and

enabling, labeling these shores as

the snow capital of nowhere. Glancing to stare,

aware that the forecast calls for resurgent flurries.

You scurry to catch a quick glimpse of the skies

and there before your eyes you realize.

The snow machine is well in tune.

I hope it ends before we hit June!