a thin whisper of mist rises from the fields
ahead, a light drizzle slickening
the gray stone
skeletal black branches snatch
the wind from the air
i wandered through a narrow valley
with brown encrusted mountains on either side
on a path smooth as glass
but less clear
once children played in the white drifts
building forts and castles
and the snow melting into clean water
on their coats