In the park of a small town anywhere

Summer is closed
Autumn was barely alive before being smothered by winter
Now it’s time to survive

The noise intermittent and pronounced
Often appearing unannounced

A man with a dog crunches through the snow,
He wears a hat, a scarf, and a face of winter glow
The dog has other things to chase

The prints of foot and paw stare up like holograms
Catching the attention of watching crows
who pause like spies considering a coup

A woman runs along the path
Her mouth blows thin fog
She ignores this world
In search of somewhere else

The river knows its place it is content to play host
To the shipwrecked and the ghosts
The water runs carrying years in its path
Fish dance underneath in between hooks and reeds

You are a shadow on the bank

The ducks approach
Enquiring for bread
A swan also questions
With its cautious glance

You have none
They move on
You will feed them next time
Their plan has worked

The clouds speed across a grey sky sneaking out another snowfall
Dressing the trees that forever stand tall
You forget all the buildings
This moment is your isle, a thought that makes you smile.
©JMcN 2012