Surviving the winter
The place is so spacious I hardly recognise it
Stripped back
Without the leaves more gaps and openings
For the steely cold blues of the sky
Dark silvers on the surface of the lake
The trees stand black and naked against the light
Their twisting curves reaching up and out
their branches an intricate latticework through which winter light pours
Black silhouettes of buildings with their light-filled windows
Now the oranges of dawn
The sound of wind
The cold seeping into the backs of my fingers as I write
The autumn leaves have been cleared
It’s much more empty and spacious now
As though waiting for the year to begin
I can live with the whole year
I can find hope and promise even in this empty space.

Richard Carter