January Thaw

The sun is a wan, fuzzy disk
struggling its way past the
billowing dull clouds, a struggle
the clouds take full possession of,
drowning the sun in a bath of grey.
No matter, the atmosphere has
relented to a brief warming trend
and the snow-laden hills have
succumbed, flushing their meltwater
into the wooded ravine's recently
ice-freed stream. The water cold
and furiously rushing downstream,
carries with it detritus released
by overhanging trees relinquishing
dark twisted twigs, ice-shattered
bark, dead leaves and pieces of
old bird and animal nests; the
bondage of winter in release
a temporary window of relief.