Winter is a Beautiful Sickness

The first snow is magical

A thin white blanket coats December

and the icy air brings

a fresh, yet familiar beauty

The second snow is joyful

Neighborhood children have bundled up

In mittens

Boots

Coats

And Scarves

They have constructed a snowman

And gifted him their winter gear

They are drawn inside by hot chocolate

And bright boxes

sprinkled with pine needles

The third snow is a burden

What was once

The pleasure of slipping on mittens

Is now

The chore of fitting on gloves

Salt and Sand tarnish

the once-wonderful white walkways

The snowman had lost his scarf

And the children

have not brought him a new one

The fourth snow is a blizzard

Unpredictable

Uncontrollable

Unavoidable

It's a sickness

It lasts for days

Even when the storm is over

The sickness remains

The sixteenth snow is miserable

The sickness is miserable

You long for easy breathing

And green grass

It seems the sickness will never end

But in time

It does end

The last snow is beautiful

Unpredictable

Uncontrollable

Unavoidable

The sickness always ends

Health returns

And the grass is greener

And more lovely

Than you remember