Early morning routine

before dawn the alarm pierces the silence

arresting the gentle swell of our breathing.

my legs swing off the bed, feet contacting

the icy floor, stumbling towards the stairs.

drowsy eyed pulling one leg at a time

through long underwear, 

its too dark to see clearly, its before first

light and trying not to fall down the stairs,

the dog does a few cat-cows as the shoes

go over the cold feet, the arms thread

the down jacket, the leash is secured,

and the door opens to bitter cold.

back to the early morning routine

of walking through spectactacular.

trees dressed in white, the crunch of 

snow under my feet, so beautifully

one we are in winter, no one else

around.