The Prelude

As night surrenders to dawn,

and shadowed stillness softens to the pale blue

of a world untouched by sun,

frost whispers across the landscape,

its delicate touch transforming the familiar

into something fragile and new.

Blades of grass stand stiffened,

each leaf traced with silver filigree.

The world is given pause,

autumn’s frenzy hushed

into the stillness of a moment.

Each breath is drawn with a bracing chill,

A gentle shock to the lungs,

hanging in the air upon their release—

winter’s wisps, her quiet herald.

The flowers bow into their final repose,

while the briers stand ready

to flaunt their enduring reds and greens.

The land lies in tranquil surrender,

foretelling the slow descent into winter’s embrace.