I think I understand the reason for winter,
or maybe not the reason
but the gift of it.
The way we cocoon ourselves,
as penguins protected under wings
and taking turns shouldering
blizzards.
How some days there is nothing much to see but a white-out,
nothing much to hear
but the sound of our own quiet breathing,
the shuffling of our neighbours.
The world is suddenly wilder and darker,
and shelter is a necessary security,
sought not just for warmth
but for comfort.
And our fears,
which grow bolder in the dark,
are soothed by the warm bodies
beside us.
Everyone acutely aware
of how we are each other’s sheltered cocoons.
Together forming walls and a roof,
and room to breathe in.
And how our unified weight is our defence,
not just against the cold,
but the little breaches
through which a predator might find entry.
So that tonight,
when I lean toward you
under the half bowl of the stars,
I am saying: Shield me,
shield me please
as I shall you.
How I have not known your full value to me
until now,
when alone I would be a candle in the wind.
Ana Lisa de Jong
Living Tree Poetry
June 2023
Living Tree Poetry 