Thaw
Martha Courtot, 1978

no matter how long the Winter is
thaw comes
season by season
we learn this
too slowly

no matter how long we have spent
wrapped in a frozen season
no matter how deep under the snow
the private grief lies
one day
thaw comes

we are never prepared for it

and what was once safe for our feet
changes
water released from ice and mud and madness
and we open our eyes to earth-shift
stone-change

everything thawing
thawing like a madness
the earth opening
water running

all of our secrets exposed.