i wake,
my ribs hollow like trees,
the cold biting where sunlight used to settle.
branches rattle against the sky,
skeletal reminders
that life exists somewhere
beyond the frost i carry in my chest.

spring comes in whispers,
green buds trembling at the edge of sight,
and i try to lean toward them,
the promise of growth,
but my roots are buried too deep in gray soil,
and the petals mock me
with the brightness i cannot summon.

summer burns,
flowers bloom recklessly in the fields i pass,
while i stand in the shade,
watching leaves curl and wilt under the heat.
i wish for joy
but my leaves are brittle,
my colors dulled,
my limbs too tired to stretch toward the sun.

autumn arrives,
red and gold on the horizon,
and i envy the trees shedding without shame,
their letting go more graceful
than the way i clutch my own pain.
seeds scatter in the wind,
but i feel too rooted in sorrow
to fly with the breeze.

sometimes i forget
that a tree can stand silent through storms
and still survive to sprout again.
i forget the soil remembers the rain,
even when my hands are empty,
and the sun is a stranger
i have yet to recognize.

the forest between seasons,
branches bare,
flowers asleep beneath frozen ground,
but life stirs quietly, under the frost.

and maybe,
just maybe—
spring will find me when i am ready,
and i will bloom
without shame,
without hurry,
without needing anyone to notice
that i survived the winter.

this was a quick one but i had so much fun with it!! love you all!!