Winter Wind

[My sister Lori with Noella, (who was a Christmas puppy 11 years ago),
Lukey and Jasmine, who are brother and sister, now five years old.]

The winter wind
puffs its cheeks
and blows
cold blasts
across the valley;
leaves and clouds
go skittering in its path.
The sky darkens;
chilly dogs come in
at last
and,
brightly sparkling
through the darkening gloom,
the red and blue lights
of Christmas Past
and Present
shine their cheer
into my
each and every room.

My sister puts
a tiny tree
within the corner.
Tomorrow
I'll wrap
some gifts
to go below.
All it takes
are lights,
a tree,
to make a Christmas.
The only thing
still on its way
is snow.

The dogs are snoozing
by the makeshift fire.
The kids will
all be here
this year
with me.
Pup perks his ears
when I say
"the kids
are coming!"
-the last Christmas
my boy will ever see.
Fourteen Christmases
to reach
the very last one,
so hard to finally
set my wolf-pup free.

I take the sadness
with the joy,
for that's the program;
the two sides of the coin
together come.
Our hearts wax
fuller than the moon
with tears and laughter.
The years fly fast;
Tomorrow comes
too soon.