The morning mist rises from the waters, freezes and falls back to earth as snow... Bitter cold, winter is here and the chills in my body have found a match within the chills embedded in my soul.

     You say chills of the soul! But how can that be? I respond, can there be any other way for me, for us? For winter has come to the times of my life, the passions of love rise in the morning as the mists rose from the waters, they fall back unrequited like the cold snow falls back to earth. The seasons of my life have passed me by...

     First was the spring of my youth when life was play, sounds beautiful, joy complete. Love was the lap of my mother, safety the arms of my father. Joy was stick horses, bare feet and hot summer sun. Laughter was the music of my soul...

     Next summer came into my life, and with it the music changed to marshal bands, the sound of bugles, the fluttering of flags. Love became my country, my honor, my code. Safety became the strength of my comrades and the power of my soul. Then violence and death became companions, loneliness, tears and seeking began inroads in my heart...

     Fall brought to my life it's maturing, brief periods of Indian Summer, laughter from time to time, joy always just out of reach like the leaf fluttering in the autumn winds. My soul heard alternating melodies, first the thrilling music of passion, then sadly thundering hymns of death and defeat. Like the leaves in the wind my soul was blown hither and yon, seeking, never finding. Finding, but never holding. Holding but never possessing. Loving, but never truly loved...

     Now comes the cold of winter into the years of my life, torn is the fabric of my soul, the music has turned sad in reflections, reflections back on desires, goals never attained. The cold of acceptance chills my mind, the sadness of the lonely hours bring tears to my eyes, what could have been and never was...