winter.
then spring
supposedly a
time of renewal
i think everyone forgets
about the time in between…
in this between time,
the snow remains
only where it
was once piled high,
and to call it
snow now is a
little misleading.
yes, there is snow
somewhere in there,
but as i walk,
i see
piles of dirt and debris.
like a glacier,
the snow retreats,
depositing the detritus
trapped months ago
by a long-lasting winter.
there’s a flat pumpkin.
several beer bottles.
cigarette butts.
candy wrappers.
leaves, never raked up.
and covering the grass?
a thin layer of mold.
now in the middle of
a parking lot,
this retreating
glacier has left behind
countless miniature lakes,
lakes that will soon
dry up,
making
the drive through
the parking lot more
than a little treacherous.
“it’s so ugly,” i said.
but he reminded me
that this, like everything
else, is a matter
of perspective.
“the dirty snow i see signals the end.”
i hadn’t really thought
about it that way.
where i now live
there is no end.
and no beginning.
no cycle.
no seasons.
and i’m okay with that.
but here, there
is hope in this
cycle of change.
and here, hope that
winter will end is
as close to
religion as most of them
will ever get.
