winter, again

frozen in time,
frozen in the ground
her bare hands, uncovered
(my most grievous error)

the cold of knowing
startles me in the night
how could i have left her like that?!
(how could i have left her at all…)

and when the summer comes, relief —
i smile at her toes and fingers,
not suffocated by wool and warmth
(irrational, yes, but quite on the nose)

and it is like this every year
when the axis of earth dares to change its mind
when the memories of winter
turn to crystals in the air