branches in the sky,
leafless in the winter cold...
exposed arteries

morning fog recedes,
revealing the rolling hills
and winter bare trees

holiday coffee,
the dark of the solstice night
steaming in my cup
∎

warm December day,
the summer garments among
the holiday wreaths

my favorite month
swallows the brumal solstice...
the sun born anew
∎

everything gray, dull...
the statue of the Buddha
as seen through the snow

snow on the Buddha...
everything still, motionless,
muted by the cold
∎

morning light beyond,
in the bleakness of winter —
a promise of hope

sparrows on the wire,
silhouettes in the dawning
of the morning light
∎

earlier sunsets —
even the sun flees before
the coming winter
∎

the autumnal hills
are now monochromatic...
winter approaches

the hairs on my head
fall like dry autumnal leaves —
winter comes for all
∎