First Snow
By
Jennifer Angelina Petro
The sky says:
Shh—Listen.
Hear that? No?
Good.
Close your eyes,
Listen more.
Hear that? No?
Good.
That silence
Is there
For a reason.
Grab a coat,
Step outside,
Open your arms,
Lift your face to the sky.
Hear that?
Good. Feel that?
Good. That is
The reason, that is–
Such marvelous,
Dazzling stillness;
Such exquisite
Calm, such soothing
Kisses from winter’s
Hushed lips.
Breathe in, feel that—
That briskness and quickening.
Good.
There are
A million reasons,
So many reasons,
Each one crystalline
And delicate, yet
Powerful enough
To quiet the world—
If only for a moment—
If only long enough
For you
To feel and to listen
To love’s softening,
To winter’s patient
Blanketing.
That silence is there
Not to threaten,
But to assure you
You are alive.
As you go back
Inside, to the noise
Of notifications
And important things to do—
You are invited,
You are allowed,
You are known.
You are part
Of the wisdom of the sky
That says: shh.
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