Jeremiah Ray

it is only snow

yes

it will melt

maybe even water the seedlings

but may the rain will do that

instead

i painted the wall

in small sections

here and there

the paint has faded

seamless

no memories

squirrels have found the feeder

the cardinals stopped coming

quiet here at night
always a wonder
how or why
and
why or how

A constant wind
no more nap
stillness
lie without
moving

snow
brings silence
everything
just a whisper

“why are you collecting rock?’ i asked

“because they’re in my fields,” he said
“i want the crops to grow.”

we were silent a time.

“i also like them heaped at the ends of the rows;
little monuments to labor.”

moon behind clouds
shows her face
bare trees
they reach upwards

i rise to let the cat outside
it had been calling out
and in my sleep
i heard it
the sky is pale
the air frigid
the cat and i pause
for a moment
we each witness
the stillness

porch boards with frost
small animal prints
here and there