I watched the ice — its shapes,
the way they fit together,
how they had drifted off a little space
and sat like puzzle pieces on the water
edges ridged and ready
to bump or join

I reflected on its quiet language
and the ancient rules of interface,
the same as has been done for many years
enacted here in just the last two days

A set of habits totally unseen,
scarcely imagined in the warmer seasons
emerging now, when they are needed
from water’s reservoir of hidden skills.

©Wendy Mulhern
January 22, 2019