January Thaw

The vast hovering vault of the sky
has shed its Janus face of yesterday's
snow-infused pewter countenance,
turned it into a great blue sea of
benevolent presence, the sun in its
throne beaming good-naturedly and
warming the atmosphere unseasonally.
This weather largess has a notable
dissenter, a morose wind forcefully
inciting masts of trees to a dance
they scarce can refuse to participate
in, as that wind bellows through the
forest canopy, shedding pine, spruce
and fir of their decorative sheathing
of scintillating snow. Even so, the
moderating atmosphere and the heat
of the sun melts the light, top layer
of the snowpack on the floor of the
forest, releasing the icebound creek
as it runs amok, travelling the course
of the forest and on to larger water
courses feeding the mighty river beyond.