A winter’s gift to me:
you, the dark-eyed commoner,
winter’s executioner of seeds,
hooded entertainer of kings,
under laden boughs of snow,
paused in your solemn deed,
a frozen prayer now
before the flash and peck
of your survival’s needs,
before the wind whips
and applauding crystal showers
disrupt the scene,
and my soul has flown with thee.
By John Fritzell
John Fritzell is a graduate of Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA and currently resides in Appleton, WI with his wife and two dogs. John’s poetry focuses on natural places and the intersections of the human and natural worlds. He has previously had poems published by Gray’s Sporting Journal, Plainsongs, Canoe & Kayak Magazine, Red Eft Review and Tiny Seed, among others.