SHALAKO
The autumn came early that year
And the winter soon after
The hot dusty summer died overnight
Quickly and quietly in its sleep
Like an old man
Weary from the journey of life
It laid down its head
On the pillow of death
And drifted
The winter was cruel that year
Bitter as the unsweetened lemon
The cold knocking hard at each door
While beneath a blanket of snow and ice
The earth lay dormant
The relentless wind that blew
Knifed your body
And froze your blood
Like a Shalako win