Winter is awake again,
the maple skin exposed,
its branches cross
in secret codes
resembling pentagrams,
swastikas, or some other
scary symbols
once concealed
below green tunics,
discarded now,
the trunk’s wild worship
crisply revealed,
and I am left to repent
with the backyard heads
boughed in devotion,
their whispers, spells,
and incantations muffled
by the season’s slow motion.
I pray for the innocent
fall of snow
through my glass window.
© khartless 2021, All Rights Reserved
Artwork: Alfonso Mucha “Winter”
Yard Sale of Thoughts 
The snow is a mask
Only covering the shame
And secrets beneath.
It is folly,
Delusion of Yule
Hiding away truth and death
In our selfish and arrogant
Quest for dominance.
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Powerful words, dt. Thanks for sharing.
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Beautifully written, love. Winter is cold, but your words bring warmth. Thanks for sharing.
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Thank you. Glad you felt the glow of this one.
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Amazing piece, K. Love the image too. Wonderful.
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Thank you, Grace. I’m so glad you enjoyed this. Must credit Misky with the twiglet. 🙂
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I sure did. My pleasure .💕❤️💕
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Absolutely gorgeous imagery, K. A beautiful poem. 💙
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Thank you. It was good to get back to nature as inspiration today.
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You’re welcome. Indeed.
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Wow. This is exquisite. I especially love, “Winter is awake again,
the maple skin exposed”
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Thank you for these kind comments. My backyard maples surprised me today.
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Amen! ❄️
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😀May the cold freeze us.
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love the imagery of exposure and revelation —
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Thank you kindly, John. It struck me how strange these backyard trees look without their regular attire.
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we all look a little different naked 🙂
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Or isn’t that we all look different clothed? I find people look quite similar in the buff, minus a bit of sagging that is natural with time. 😉
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now I know where you’re coming from; yes, we do 🙂
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Such a fascinating perspective on winter. Great stuff!
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Thanks, Worms. Right out the back window here is a labyrinth of limbs. Winter always holds new mysteries for me.
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I love winter… perhaps because I grew up in the tropics where there was so little seasonal demarcation.
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I love having all four seasons. I could see it hard losing any of them-almost like losing an appendage. Melancholy can set in during the winter for me, so I need lots of jokes and jolliness to keep my spirits toasty.
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Brill! Virgin snow definitely has an innocence.
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Yes, it does. It seems to cleanse everything. This year, maybe even sanitize. 😉
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Hope so!
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I loved “it’s branches cross in secret codes” brilliant there 👏👏❤️
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Thanks, Michele. Fun puzzle to figure out these backyard branches.
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Your yard must be gorgeous ❤️
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It’s perfectly petite, but I like the look of it perched as we are a bit above the tree line.
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It doesn’t look petite! I need your gardening tips then 😁
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I nearly shivered. Love the idea of secret codes. Lovely poem, K, and glad to see that a Twiglet inspired you.
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Thank you kindly, Misky. Your twiglets often do, it’s just that this one had to branch out.
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Interesting contrasts and implications in this poem. One to ponder.
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Thank you, VJ. I told my muse to holiday, but she looked out the back window and was back at it again.
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Lol. Have to love her!
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Wonderful imagery revealed in your words.
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Why, thank you. May winter find us with more mysteries and puzzles with pondering.
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Reblogged this on sketchuniverse and commented:
❄️ OH SISTERS! WHAT A WONDERFUL DEPICTION ABOUT WINTER BY MUCHA, AND WHAT A BEAUTIFUL WORDS BY KHARTLESS.
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