Before the snow flies
And covers the unsuspecting grass
Before the cold bears down
And destroys the fragile flowers
Before the frost bites into my thoughts
And the ache of dead-end winter
Settles in my mind and bones
Before the ice freezes over land
And captures random beauty
Holding her in an amber moment
Before I pray for warmth
Amidst the crystallizing breath
That hangs mid-air as it escapes
In a scream
Before the night calls to end
The long orange and yellow days
I will watch the sugar maples
Caramelize in the dying summer sun