~
Winter Garden~
Gray and brown surround me as I walk,
The dry, toasted grass
crunches beneath my bare toes.
Agonizingly twisted branches scratch my arms
with their rough bark.
A gust of frigid wind lifts my hair
and stings my skin.
I am alone and naked,
But at last I am free.
I am not unscarred,
But it has been worth every moment.
I will endure,
And when Spring comes,
Everything will live again.
Natalee Barnard
© 2004 used with permission
