The evening wind
sang sweet songs of spring,
its scent intoxicating,
its warmth causing the snow
to sink on in to the earth

But the morning rain
(which began hours before
what would have been dawn,
were it not for the soggy gloom)
was a dark reminder
that there’s still a long slog
before the winter lifts,
and we’ll have to dig deeper
to find what carries us
through the low passage
and upward and out.

©Wendy Mulhern
January 3, 2022