The meadowlark gathers warmth

beat by beat, in its flight from Mexico.

And when the lark arrives,

swells its sun-bright breast

flings its golden voice, winter has

to listen. For when those fluted notes

echo: ice shatters, snow melts,

and daffodils upspring. For winter

has been served moving papers.

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Mark Weinrich is a cancer survivor, a retired pastor, gardener, hiker, artist, and musician. He has had over 435 poems, articles, and short stories published in numerous publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.

Selected by the editor as a featured submission, September 2021

Winter longs to thrust its frosty sword within

a crisp and starry night to rob the year of sweetness.

But for clouds and bees winter would extend its reign.

 

A symphony of bees, tuning blossoms and mining

fruit, await the nurturing clouds, that descend

like hens with tender under-feathers setting the crop.

 

As the curtain clouds fall, the sweeter seasons

erupt in grateful applause.

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Mark Weinrich is a cancer survivor, a retired pastor, gardener, hiker, artist, and musician. He has had over 435 poems, articles, and short stories published in numerous publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.