remember this

standing, thigh high in snow,

in unison, we turned, mother and I,

like two tuning forks leaned in toward vibration

every deer in earshot could hear our steps and hear them stop

"now listen," she said, an invitation, "remember this."

city nights could never give me this, crisp cool bliss of nature's quiet

every cell of my body sip-sipped pine-aired nothingness, piece O' silence