It’s still winter,
blackbirds singing by the pond
notwithstanding

It’s still winter,
momentary snow amidst the rain
attesting

And it’s still enough
to find a way to feed and warm ourselves
and take the time to watch the snow
command the scene
for the brief time
of its ascendancy

We will make progress
and measure it
not against our endless list of tasks
but in the pace
of winter’s strict permissions.

©Wendy Mulhern
January 26, 2021