Winter's Roar

Great white clusters of
cold-bunded snow crowd
the sky, the air, each
cringing surface they meet
in this end-of-winter storm
as the grumpy old lion
trudges the atmosphere
spreading ill-will signalling
its refusal to depart with
the dignity of an element
knowing it has transcended
the boundaries of goodwill
and patience that even nature's
dependent house guests
manage to muster, not wishing
to offend the powerful,
given to episodic piques
of temper, while lesser
beings anxiously await spring.