Winter

The riverbank, blanketed in white

Silences all clamour and din

Laying aside the chaos of days gone by

That once-unrivalled beauty

Now laid bare in all its ugliness

Gnarled, skeletal branches

The wind’s whisper halts time

Yet still whispers of the body’s presence

Curled up tight

Wrapping every inch of skin

Footsteps muffled

Only the crisp sound of snow remains