The sun sank low
as cold air filled the void
left by its warming rays,
swiftly departing.

As quickly as it sank,
Brush strokes of coral
tinted the western canvas,
exposing the stark outlines
of skeletal trees.

There, then gone in an instant.
All of it, vanished.
The fleeting beauty of winter,
the shortest days
the longest nights
but vibrant living
in between.

–SKP