What We Once Were
Old Man Winter turned his head and pressed his bleary eyes, rubbing sleep from their corners. Gazing out the window of his lonely shack, he watched as another leaf fell from the oak outside his home. Soon. Not yet. Thoughts passing gently through his mind. When all the leaves had fallen, then he would rise from his bed and step out into the world. Another hour. Another day. But not yet. He closed his eyes and drifted back into a fog of dreams.
Arms outstretched to the sky, she stood. Tall. Strong. The air had a crispness to it and she knew the trees would soon be bare. She breathed it in and felt the warmth of the sun as the little ones scurried at her foot. They had pressed her into service. How long ago? She did not know, but they had pressed her and others into service a long time ago. And she performed her duty well and without resentment. Tenderly holding aloft the wires which humanity so dearly depended on. Birds would visit her often and they would converse, but for all her care, it was a thankless job.
The fox huddled in their den. It was dark, but dry, and when the winter winds blew cold, that would make a world of difference. ‘E was given a scare when a pair of gnomes came trundling through. Together they carried a sack within which they would collect every fallen leaf from the forest floor, or so they claimed. They weren’t entirely sure if Fox was someone they could confide in but the one let slip they were playing a trick on Old Man Winter before the other urged secrecy and they both left. Fox thought it sounded silly, but if they managed to succeed it would mean Fox wouldn’t need to worry the season through. Wouldn’t that be something?
With special thanks to friends who have helped me with this project at various times