Winter winds

Marching steadily north
short lines of
dark wavelets
running up the sea

Strong winds
unperturbed
by anything
in their path

Blowing straight
through you
and out
the other side

Not bothering
to go round
to left
or right

Clouds blown
away as is
the mist and murk
of recent days

Winter is not gone
it's taunting us
with bright sunshine
but bitter winds

Spring is teasing us
from a month away
giving us lambs
in colourless fields

Don't be fooled
we ain't there yet
Orion still graces
the night sky

And until the Hunter
disappears
with his faithful
hounds in tow

Until we reach
Beltane
when winter's hold
is finally broken