Where the Sunlight Meets the Frost

A field, blanketed by
crystal-covered blades of grass;
frozen

The lone baby pine,
situated kitty-corner to the pond,
cries out as it experiences its
inaugural frost

The chill
brings forth the memory of darting
barefoot to the mailbox in mid-January;
beyond bone-chilling

The day commences
as sunlight blesses
this field
with its presence

But one can’t seem to shake
the daunting approach
of the still stiff darkness
of the drawn-out winter nights

Silence is shattered by the crunching underfoot,
the crackling sound of deer
forging for berries
and squirrel scurrying for
the last nut dangling
in the far-off lofty branch
of the century-old oak tree;
there is a sense of urgency

Life is haunted by
the power of darkness
and frigid temperatures

But where the sunlight meets the frost
life is restored
the frost-covered grass thaws
in a silent relief
as life is once again
brought back into
this field

A vapor shroud hovers over this field
in a translucent halo
intensifying the unmitigated beauty
of God’s creation

Where sunlight meets the frost
the two join
in a mutual capitulation,
surrendering to the other,
each taking its turn
to impact this field
in brilliant and glorious ways