my mountain wildflowers are withering
turning into a crunch of desiccated bronze
a reticent earth awaits its spirit of sustenance

time to move into the protection of the lowlands
and gather every morsel of light I can find
darker days of wintery frosts beckon
upon the threshold of my home

even though a coming spring
can generate hopes of another rise
evil minions of the grey and cold rule
within my hideout of emotional numbing
absorbing the season’s warmth and kindness
that bloomed in my dwindling colors of wildness

one flower pierces the veneers of snow
my true partner and dearest friend
restoring my colors of spring
she is my reliable therapy
my only secure home