What is winter?

Winter is a quiet time

The wind blows through the silent trees

Winter is the silence that cloaks your house

The coldness that appears within a blink of an eye

Winter is the ice and snow that sparkles

Winter is the now white forest, seemingly empty

Winter is the cold night and glittering stars 

Winter is the howling blizzard that comes without warning

Winter is the grasp of nature that freezes all it touches

Winter is the cold air that seeps everywhere

The approach of twilight, setting the world in a dark embrace

For months to come

Winter is something else, too

It’s the warmth of the fireplace

It’s the shelter from the outside

The oasis of warmth in the desert of snow

The cabin in the snowy woods

The campfire in the cold night

Dawn once again bringing light and warmth to the frozen world each morning