As Soon as You See the First Flake

When the first flake
Of the first snow of the season falls,
You grab your camera and record
The first flakes on the boxwood.

You notice the neighbor dog
Shivering on your porch.

You get her a blanket.

You put out seed for the birds.

You dust the snow off an old mare.

You play with a border collie
Who doesn’t care how cold it is;
She will fetch as long as you will throw.

You watch snow pile up on the gate.

You’re glad your horses
Have enough hay for the winter.

You watch the snow
Blanket your house.

And you wonder—
What the heck am I doing
Out in the cold
When I could be warm inside?

~