Winter Without Cold and Yet so Cold

In this winter, no winter appears,

Like early spring,

Day and night,

In January, where frost

Should bite my cheek.

Nature’s recharging,

Resetting,

Neutralizing.

.

I wonder,

What became of

The Siberian winter chill

That so often ice-bound the land,

Sweeping in storms from the East,

Freezing the mirrors of the lakes?

But in these years, it seems,

All from the mighty empire

To the East is unwelcome,

Apparently not even the cold.

.

Nor the North Wind

With its snow showers and frost,

Has held the power to blow

Its froth around my head.

A few feeble attempts—

A slight sniffle,

Melted away the next day.

.

Where have the sun and light

Been sent, if not here,

To lift our winter-heavy

Souls from darkness and despair?

For now, we long most

To rejoice in nature's

Lofty ice ballet.

.

From the West, the wind arrives,

Gray and disheartening,

Messages of gloom and misery.

Rain, wet and dreary,

Threats of tariffs,

And a lack of insight

Into Mother Earth’s convulsions.

.

Heading toward the end at great speed,

The money machines must be exploited

To their fullest.

Filling wallets,

While nature burns.

With no thought

For generations to come.

.

Author's Note

The author resides in Denmark, a country where harsh winters are uncommon due to the surrounding seas—a coastal climate. Yet, we have historically experienced Eastern winds bringing Siberian cold across the Baltic Sea from the vast continental climate of Russia, freezing the country for weeks or even months in January and February.

In recent years, however, these winds have lost their power, and the westerly winds have prevailed. Rain and storms now arrive from the mighty Atlantic and the North Sea.

Now we find ourselves in a new wind situation altogether: an aggressive breath down our necks from Russia, while politically, the West, once thought to be a dear friend and ally, also blows hard upon us.

We will endure, but there is concern for all those in the western world who have been misled into believing that the demagogue, promising lower prices and greater economic growth, is the right choice for their country and for world peace. Let the Paris Agreement fall, they say; exploit fossil riches to the fullest.

This recklessness will only hasten the winds from the West, melt the ice faster, and fuel the flames in the drought-stricken regions that were once fertile.

We humans are but a second in Earth’s history, and soon, our thoughtlessness will make us disappear after many tribulations. When we are gone, Mother Earth will once again count new seconds, with new life forms, perhaps better stewards of the planet than humankind ever was.