Hearing the 
first tick
tick tackety 
tick of
frozen rain
against windows 
I know 
snow’s coming 
it’s sent 
its messenger 
warning warmth
that cold 
is due 
very soon 
it’s time 
to go 

Sheets first
to neck
pushed to 
foot naked
two continents 
a sea
of linen 
between them 
mountains and 
gorges forests 
hiding desires 
dark deep 
pools and 
cliffs from 
which to 
dive and 
lips soft
shells in
which to
hear secrets 

Rusty dusty
and musty
cheap patina 
untouched thing
damp dark 
and forgotten 
like bicycles 
books and 
precious diaries 
once ridden 
with gleeful 
abandon once
prized possessions 
once the 
keeper of 
forbidden secrets 
and desires 
these three
siblings two
brothers and 
a sister 
children of 
getting old

When I 
had forever 
it was 
easy to 
give away 
but now 
in this 
late hour 
of slowly 
dimming candles 
I wonder 
what’s forever 
called when 
little is
left of 
it to
offer someone 

My home
this morning 
a chill
and I 
a dog
huddled in
front of 
fire warming 
king in
his castle 
hermit in
his cave 
all but
the same 
cold does 
that reduces 
men to 
little boys