I do not know winter
but I know the flakes
that fall, and the edgy
patterns of their softness.

And how we can
stack them against
the wall like a crack
to divide our world,

and how we can stand
and watch them melt
like a snowman standing
in a garden, face up to the sun.

Then, when the snow blends
into our lives, we ask
if we should erase
the crack before it forms,

or watch the snowman
lumps to the ground,
or collect the water
when it falls.

Autumn
4 June 2007