Jean L. Kreiling
Winter Confrontations
Weightless, colorless,
soundless flakes somehow subdue
a sturdy gray oak.
The depth of the white,
half-frozen mantle exceeds
the height of your boot.
The huge-handed clutch
of steely cold penetrates
your parka's embrace.
The sun only glares—
until it meets its eager
match in your child's eyes.
Bio
Jean L. Kreiling's poems have appeared in numerous print journals, e-zines, and anthologies. She was the winner of the 2011 Able Muse Write Prize for Poetry, and has been a finalist for the Dogwood Poetry Prize, the Frost Farm Prize, and the Howard Nemerov Sonnet Award.