Wintering

Mid-autumn it starts, when the clocks go back

And winter looms darkly ahead

Strictly is back on a Saturday night

And you don’t want to get out of bed

Halloween, bonfires and fireworks

Then autumn is suddenly gone

December brings carols and Christmas

Good spirits and gifting and fun

Then January – start of  another New Year

And it’s back to real life with a thud

It’s cold and it’s wet and it’s windy

And the dog walks are covered in mud

The garden looks sad and untidy

Dead plants still in baskets once blooming

The moss on the paths a reminder

Of the big garden clean up that’s looming

Let nature and winter remind us

That sometimes, we just need to rest

To pause, without guilt and recover

To snuggle up warm in our nest

And springtime will follow as always

And the light will stay longer, each day

Not because winter deserves to be gone

But because it is always that way

And it’s calm just before it is stormy

And it’s darkest before the sun rises

Nothing on earth is forever

And life throws up many surprises

Wintering! Time to declutter

The attic, the cupboards, the mind

So, whenever you can, turn your face to the sun

And the shadows will soon fall behind

© Gillian Wood