Winter in Vermont

Strolling to work,

in unseasonable warm weather,

35 degrees or so

at eleven pm.

Brisk wind blew strongly,

as if to propel

me faster, but I resisted

as my mind began to saunter.

Facing the skyline of

trees that I passed everyday,

I saw them laughing

at the wind and shaking

off the cold of the previous storm,

as if to say you can’t touch us.

And they were right.

Their colors

were more vibrant on this dark night

than ever observed

on the brightest of days.

My head faced down

as my feet continued to move,

however slowly,

looking at the sidewalk

saddled with a conglomeration

of melting ice and snow

perfectly lining my arrival, glistening

like a runway prepared for a landing.

My first winter in Vermont.

Some days cold, some

warmer, but all

with the beauty

you can only find here.