Winter Philosophy

Watch that squirrel’s high lift,
the shower of seeds falling,

the freshly plowed road
with its rimmed gravelly lines,

take note of the shivering dog
neck deep in morning’s white powder,

a blackbird shadow, his feathers of light
on the wall of the warm kitchen.

It’s said that where we are right now
is pretty much who we are:

lonely driven or lit up
by unapparent joy or overjoy.

Remember what is held too tightly
is never steady, so maybe to truly be

is to skate along with the slow
traveling wind on today’s icy path.