Last summer's blossoms, frozen and still
Covered with dew that catches the spring light
And gives them one last touch of beauty
As winter relinquishes its hold on the land

Stems starkly silhouetted against
The mist-covered clouded air
Seem more substantial
Than the frail husks of seasons past
They have appeared all winter,
Mournfully fragile against the bitter ice and snow

The stark sun, sharp enough
To shine through mist and rain
Lights every dead seed husk,
Every fragile corpse of leaf,
Every blade of grasses past
Into sparking gems for one last, brief
Glorious moment

Look, traveler, and marvel at the fleeting beauty
Of winter's death in the northern climes