by Alisha Rodriguez

In the frozen lake,
Where I had only been in during the Summer and Spring,
I was met with sights and sounds and smells
I never knew in any other time.

The twinkling blues and greens and reds and yellows
Hanging from every window sill and door frame,
From the naked branches of every oak and bush,
Weaved through every loop and curve of every person
Floating above the unstirred snow.

Ringing voices echoed through the lake,
Singing their songs of joy and merry and splendor,
Of gifts and presents to come,
And children excitedly tearing through their coverings
With their fingers and teeth.

Families visit every house they can,
Where potatoes are mashed and pasta is boiled,
And sweet meats are baked and chickens are stuffed,
And everyone partakes in every dish,
Going back for seconds and thirds and fourths.

In the frozen lake,
Where I had only been in during the Summer and Spring,
I was met with sights and sounds and smells
I never knew in any other time.

Tinsels and garlands lined the paths,
Flowing from ledge to ledge of every roof,
From lamppost to lamppost on every street corner,
Wreaths garnished with poinsettias and pine needles
On every door.

Bells and shouts sound through every street,
Ringing and clanging in every hand,
Tolling and chiming in every building,
To announce every piece of good news
To make smiles bigger.

Stands in the rows of tents lining the streets
On open fires roast and toast sugary chestnuts,
Boil and stir hot chocolate,
For every child and passerby
Could have if they would only stop.

In the frozen lake,
Where I had only been in during the Summer and Spring,
I was met with sights and sounds and smells
I never knew in any other time.

The fish were gone,
And in their place was fallen branches and sticks,
In their place was rocks and ice,
Sunken to the bottom
Where the pale sunlight cannot reach.

The birds were gone,
And the sounds of animals chirping and romping,
Of animals calling and frolicking,
Had morphed into the pressure in my ears
From the cold water’s weight.

The honeysuckle was gone,
And the fresh flowers long wilted,
And the leaves on the trees long gone,
The scents of every plant and every breeze
Turned to a horrible burning in my body.

In the frozen lake,
Where I had only been in during the Summer and Spring,
I was met with sights and sounds and smells
I never knew in any other time.