…her true colours

Bare brittle branches,helplessly trembling against a winter sky
tracing haunting shadows with their bony fingers
as below, the tired woods gently sigh in silver sleep
where they hold both the hush of winter and the hush of light
the pale winter sun is hanging lo across a heavy morning sky
who, conflicted, is dressed in soft shades
of grey and cool shimmering blue
cloaking herself in the delicate clouds
yet the wind still reveals her true colours
peeling back the layers dragging them in tatters
across the face of the sun
where their shadowed hearts are filled with gold and light
and they sprinkle themselves like diamonds
across the skirts of morning
she spreads her cold white fingers
slowly painting soft shafts of gold
that dance on frozen stones and desolate trees
sharing light and an unexpected warmth
this frigid winter day now brightened by apricity
her gentle touch caressing all the living
and all the departed that still linger here
© Ann Bagnall

What is ‘APRICITY’?

Apricity, is a rare English word that means the warmth of the sun in winter. It describes that specific, pleasant feeling of being warmed by the sun’s rays on a cold winter day. The word is derived from the Latin word “apricus,” meaning “warmed by the sun” or “exposed to sunlight”. While it’s not a commonly used word today, it’s been noted as a delightful and evocative term for a simple, yet cherished, sensation.