The sound of snow

                Dedicated to A.R.

The faintest twinkling in the air
And solemn outlines of the shrine…
I wonder why you brought me here,
I wonder
If
It’s human or divine.
Why are we standing here in deep
Tranquility,
Where branches weep with ice,
Their silhouettes against the sky
Clear and precise?
You say: “The blue, the black, the gold
Are mere distraction…
Tales are told
By snowflakes.
If you close your eyes,
You’ll hear a story of the rise and fall
Of kingdoms and their gods…”
Without a word
I humbly nod.
And then… I hear the snow.
It speaks to me in semitone
Of nothing I have ever known,
Of nothing I have ever seen,
Of lands where I have never been…
Infinity
Is open wide
Where rainbows glow and sparks collide.
A mist of tears around my face
Is whirling,
For no other grace
Is so magnanimous and kind…
And in this mist I’m standing, blind.
I breathe it in and step away
So fast
In terror, so afraid
That it won’t last.
My heavy eyelids start to rise.
What? Can’t believe my eyes!
You’re gone; the snow has vanished, too.
A brook is singing,
And the dew
On gentle grass has touched my feet.
I stretch my arm –
A tiny blossom lingers in the air,
And then they meet.
Where are you now? We’ll also meet again…
Again we’ll praise and greet
The humble winter coming like a graceful doe.
Again we’ll just stand still
And listen to the sound of snow…