Winter comes as chapped lips
and crocodile skin. Bitter wind
promising snow. And the girl watches the flurries
of flakes from her window. A sheet of
glass keeps her from
touching the world but preserves
all its splendor. And she makes
a picture with her hair tied
to the side. Shrinking from cold
and the feel of anything real.

Spring comes with birds
and the whispers of lovers. A language
of beginnings.
And she opens the window enough
to let the breeze stir the curtains.
"Come out! Come out!"cry the birds. "You are
letting the time go." With a pair of
blunt scissors she chops off her
long hair. Bare feet on rich dirt,
she leaves the window behind.

Summer comes as a boy
and a quickened heartbeat. Forever
is written in every sunbeam on her skin.
And sometimes when they fight
she returns to the window and thinks
how love looks better through glass.
His curious hands lead her
to dark corners. Alone, he is different--
a snake in the grass. She's quiet
and he likes that best. Silence
when he touches her.

Autumn takes its turn as hot cocoa
and heartbreak. The trees
dying down, resting their heads.
She writes songs about loss
and the season and rain, melody captured
by a sweet falsetto. And again, she sit by the
window. Not to hide this time but to see.
Each leaf turning red hides a wish
to be happy. As they fall, she still
has faith in happiness. Even now, her belief
still holds on.