"she faced the snows"

she faced the snows

she faced the snows
around her outline settling,
atop the flowers,
amongst the throng of coats

I stepped form my apartment building
stopped
I faced the circular coats
standing and speaking above her face

the coffin was short
its earthly gleam slanted away from the sky
the protruding interior
compressed her posture

late, hurried I encountered the pause
the ritual murmurs under the snows
arrayed in her finest – black thread and lace
her hair underneath its protective cover

littering these colors the flakes rested
softly, quietly, so as not to interrupt
upon her face they found themselves
barely visible pallor on death

directly in front of the door they stood
semi-circled on the snowy pavement
heads bowed and outstretched
trying to see her face between the snows

sliding past I hurried on,
struck only shallowly at the door
but then I stopped and turned
and watched the ceremony behind the snows

the sheen of the wood stood out from afar
lifted to enclose the end of age in a face
the flakes quickly evaporated upon its surface
as they collected on covered heads

i watched as the flowers on stands were collected
brought to the front of the forming column
amidst the coffin the throng started moving
towards me - I turned and hurried into the snows