In a final storm, water coated the snow
leaving a slick glossy surface
You could walk upon it, the ice
holding your weight
We watched from the kitchen window as
the yard grew bright, reflecting mellow beams
from the porch lamps  

You could slide down fast,
contours of the land taking
you where they wished
The lowest point was near a stream
black trees encircling its deep banks
We sat and gazed up at the signs
I had seen these before, and here they were
again- Orion, the dippers
The house was now far away, a temporary arrangement
Its light brought out imperfections,
little melting streams
on the marbled surface  

I am far out, drawn up to a place where
warmth and heaviness seem unnecessary
I grasp for answers
as my space expands, as frozen ground
meets the sky, 
there is only blankness
something uncontainable
I realize that I am like the structure
built on the hill above us, small and rigid
The stellar expanses surround it, but
can never
enter