von Jacques Pinard Brown (Copyright)

old lady winter said
“I’ll come again
when the birds fly south
and the summer ends.

When the trees and the grass
all wither to brown
I’ll come take your hand
as I come into town.

We’ll run down to the pond
and skate on the ice
we could build a big snowman
all fluffy and nice

Lie on our backs
and watch the last leaf fall.
Drill a hole in the ice
and catch nothing at all

We can swim in cold waters
of the deep, murky sea
and thereafter get drunk
on whisky and glee.”

so we’ll go playing,
the old girl and me,
until the birds start to sing
and she has to take her leave.