gleaming daggers
jewels set in natures crown
every branch, twig, and blade of grass
arrayed in glory
as foolish plants
had rushed headlong out of their dens of earth
thinking to steal some time
from winters grip
paying the price
captured and entombed
displayed like some butterfly
in a trophy case
beautiful
lifelike unmoving
frozen in time

Joe
January 10th, 1997