Palinode For An Equinox Poem by Michael Shepherd

this time of year offers
naught for our comfort
so it might appear

days draw in. the year
seems tired at the thought
of doing it all over again

colder as if
the heart has said its last
and hope itself had forgotten
what it's supposed to do

this time of year
is a test of mind. a huge
seasonal game, thought up
by a child's wisdom and
suppressed laughter, lips
bubbling with love

on a sunny day, this time of year,
feel the spring, with
suppressed laughter haha caught you
stealing in like Dad to your bedroom on
Christmas Eve with
something the heart hopes for
but didn't expect it would get this year

pull this cracker with me
and a little present falls out
wrapped in a curl of timeless...
here, read it for yourself