Our new normal is angst and recovery

Frantic moments

Breath held while one affliction or another overcomes us

Briefly

We don't really panic, rather, we remain poised

Make jokes en route to our diagnosis

which is minimized by the professionals in response to

 our ability to make jokes in the first place

They love our banter, the disguise for fear that one thread pulled will unravel

our comfort

The insulation, which is our nights settling in

The haze that wraps around us

We quietly trip over our toes

and if we are lucky

we break the fall surrounded by loved ones who choose to look away.

this winter

chill has set in

we look for warmth where we can find it

curled up on the sofa with thick socks

and hot tea

something to read 

words to roam over

distracted by the settling

of our creaking house

that moans with its subtle moves

the fire in the furnace needs tending

but it's worth the effort 

to heat these wide boards

with creases filled with dust

and the dribbles 

that move over them

they drink the lives that settle in

and hear the laughter and angst

accept the daily clamor

and scattered mismatched rugs

we think of stews and soups and pies that

sit heavy in our bellies

with beef and broths

chops from the local butcher

peppered, seared

absorbing the juices

capered and lemony

gatherings at the wide table

local talk and plans for warmer days

or places

deep and longer sleep

between flannel sheets

and heavy quilts

always with a window open

to smell the dark and the moon

rising in clear skies sparkled with stars

that wink

sometimes I walk outside and stand in my stockinged feet

and just breathe this valley 

wood smoke

and generations 

settle in 

light snow falls

and there is no sound

not even a shoosh

when it touches the ground