Winter

Cold stunts growth.
The outer dumbness of the air
Invades my inner parts
And makes less bold.

The cold are still.
The frozen lake ne’er ripples in the wind,
The bitter sentry huddles o’er his task.
Kill the winter cheer.

The poet sings a soulless song
And music writes an icy score.
The beauty of the frosted tree
Is but tinsel; cold is ugly.