This poem was written by Sydney Smith, a first-year biology major.
The first day of winter
In winter, the crows caw violently
As if angry with Mother Nature
Herself
The leaves shake, and swirl all around
My gaze falls, tired and disturbed,
On a young couple
Under a soft willow tree
Their world is built by
Grass stems and the roots of trees
The feeling of cotton rubbing against polyester
Of late nights and warm mornings
With a stray tint of pink across their cheeks
From the harsh wind
Or the others touch
I’ll never know
The first snow begins to fall
The crows fly away from the frost
I follow suit
The ants continue on their minute paths
Night comes
the sun begins to fade
And the only evidence I was there
Is the soft whistle
As the wind blows where I used to be