Winter Rain

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Winter-
it overwhelms me
it screams so loud
the world shrinks
trees shed their leaves
naked, withering
like a shriveled raisin
in a hypertonic solution
the nights are deadly-
cold and silent. 

Winter-
it makes my bones tingle, 
my lungs shiver, 
i laugh in hysteria, 
i cry out loud. 
my heart beats so wild
as if to keep up
with the waning heat
a stubborn nose
and colder feet. 

The flowers-
they wilt
as if burdened by
the gloom in the winds
birds fly far away
perhaps escaping from 
deathly clutches. 

i snuggle in a blanket
no, two. 
three sweaters, 
a funny orange cap
more like a bundle of clothes. 
a cup of coffee
warming my hands. 

Somewhere someplace-
a replay
of the days at Nana's, 
gathering wood, laughing. 
come night, huddled around the fire
telling tales. stories. 
(isn't that what we are made of? ) 
only for the moment
to become a story again. 

smiles playing on chapped lips. 

A distant thunder, 
winter rain
drowning the cold embarrassment of silence, 
dousing the fire at Nana's. 

Zaynab
3 January 2021

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