Wintering

December 10, 2023

Fluff the pillows and plump them up
Tuck in the edges and clear the floor
Put away the sharp things that serve no more
Stack the plates and sweep the dust
Enjoy the eggs and salted butter
Organize the things that clutter
And move the armchair once again
Till thoughts align and quieten

There’s time to be here in the present tense
Living quietly, absorbing the silence
Holding the mind in a cradle to rock
till thinking again is with innocent thoughts
Brush out the dander and straighten the hair
Polish dried leather from common use wear
Soften the feelings long over wrought--
Abandon the fight the nerves will stir up

There’s no need for violence or a swarm of emotion
Vacations aren’t always a trip to the ocean
I go off sometimes on a long winter’s stare
And think of some happy thing that stands up the hair
So life slowing down hums along with a buzz
And softens like willow tree tresses and baby duck fuzz

The static is gone and there’s peace in the air
And God lifts the chin and a smile is there
So there’s no reason for anger and no call for revenge
Because every promise revealed is a blessing from Him

And I live for the day and what’s happening in it
And my only concerns are from minute-to-minute
And there’s time to be about the business of living
No more need to answer every unruly misgiving
Because my nest is up high, and no-one is knocking
The bird in the clock face is not coo-coo clocking
There’s no pressing engagement that anxiety sends
I’m just here relaxing till the long winter ends