Winter is coming

Soon the air will be still
The bugs have gone away
It’s getting dark early
and it’s quiet outside

I put on my long-sleeve blue and maroon jersey
cover it with my black flannel shirt with yellow stripes
and put on my dark, plaid Sherpa-lined jacket
I cover my head with a gray McLaren cap before stepping outside

Fresh, undisturbed snow surrounds me
Cold air gently caresses my face
It’s fresher this morning
and I feel alive

I hike through the thickly covered trails
There is a still silence as the flakes continue to fall
Ambient noises that would normally travel far
are dampened today on the Red Cloud Butte Trail

Tree branches catch the snow
cushioning each flake’s fall
I close my eyes
and breath in the silence

The calm continues throughout the day
side by side with the falling snow
I am alone here in this holy place
where winter is on its way