Winter’s Corset

flames softly kiss the kettle,

liquid froths and broils.

four stomachs

shrink at each stir,

cinched by winter’s corset.

the coal runs grey, flowering, wilting

into tired sparks

falling cold and dead.

the dog gnaws

insistently on a bone nearby,

raking it with her teeth

like a garden trowel,

hoping to sprout meat

between them.

past a frameless window

snow bulges

bigger than their bellies,

devouring the cobble porch steps.

eyes suspended deep into sunken cheeks

like a January fog

shift toward the fire,

the white witch kindly pays her dues.

© Copyright Samantha Rose 2018