Painted Black

I painted the walls black

Chasing away the day

To find a semblance of peace

A break from never ending tasks

As castle crumbled

Under the force of earthquake-

Responsibilities turned demons

As time had ticked on-

The entrance of snow

And freezing of ponds,

Introduced a lack of color

Creating disturbance

Between differentiation in night and day-

Well matched by the soul

Sleeping within a cavernous body

Searching for a sliver of light

Swimming towards the break,

Terrified of drowning beneath

The torment of Mother Nature

In the cold months where loneliness

Encircled like a wild beast-

Prepared to trap those unversed

In the war of mind and body,

Unprepared to sweet talk

A mind fixed on entering into hibernation

Until the sun dapples through

Reminding that tomorrow is new

And spring is coming-

A splash of white

Upon the wall behind

Our closing eyelids

That grow heavier with each

Passing Winter day.

Katrina Thornley is a nature poet. novelist, and freelance journalist that resides in Rhode Island. She has two poetry collections currently published, a novel, as well as a short story anthology. Her poetry collections "Arcadians: Lullaby in Nature" and "Arcadians: Wooden Mystics" were inspired by a local park and life in her small rural town. You can find them on Amazon now!