DAVID HARRIS
Warmth

A stony winter sky
frames
a world of bare trees
and dirty snow

last week's ice crystals
crunch underfoot
as she exhales
white clouds of mist

She craves
warmth

A bitter morning chill
penetrates her skin
and on this day,
she feels
her winter is eternal

She craves
a burning ember
blooming into roaring flame
to thaw her body

She craves
springtime and the awakening
of the dormant earth

She wants
the heat and light
from a thousand candles
to dispell her gloom

From the corner of her eye
she spies a source
of what she desires

Clouds of smoke
drift
from a distant chimney

She wanders
toward the promise
of a blazing fire

Hope blooms within her;
filled with purpose,
she trudges though grimy slush
and breathes deeply in the frosty air
heading homeward.