There, stern water, gray
as iron, and twice as cold
—boldness froths like
whitecaps at your telling,
yarns of hard-won wisdom
beat black pearls for treasure,
chests of gold, hard-hearted
gems for warmth, their value
neither won nor sold,
nor useful when you’re growing
old with no delightful company
to make you laugh until you cry,
to warm your sheets when
bitter cold creeps beneath
your unsealed door.
(c) 2017, by Hannah Six
Image: Wolfgang.Mller54
