the solstice made its presence known
some warped flowing of time
that renewed itself each year
in a twisting of blood's flowing
of silence listening, of life talking
I was not impressed

had I not traversed its sharp edges before?

there were snowflakes
falling unto my flesh
and I tasted one slowly
with relish

with sorrow

I would blast winter into fire
flames warming old, cold bones
flaming death into furthest death
as if that would help

there's no stopping the cycles
no stopping time
ah, do we not all want to be eternal
in these frail bodies?
forgetting we are ever eternal already

so I lick one snowflake
feeling the turning of the solstice
in blood so red, so full, so alive
life twisting vital
more than death
more than the wish for death

my brother, my sister
are you willing to taste the snowflake?
will you not flow with your blood's cycles?

will you not relish life as it is?
even in its sorrow
which we share

winter called
I heard a rooster crowing in the cold dawn
an echo of summer's refrain
time made itself known
once more.

for a moment I forgot--
snow so rarely falls here...

(c) Cail
12/23/05