This city of rooftops
this tangle of streets
Houses perched 
upon hillsides
This fragmented view
a colour sample chart
of various greys
Choose any shade…

A ghoulish wind rattles 
shivering window panes
as remnants of noisy leaves 
shuffle down crooked lanes
Frozen snow 
blocking passageways
I wiggle my toes
to keep the blood flowing

Between five rivers
a hill I rise, or will soon descend
The greyscale and greens
of this city’s scenes
Twigs imprisoned
in frosty potholes
The door-creek of icicles
tickled by winter's breath

The oil lamp flame
fidgets and flickers
fighting behind smudged glass
goes another round with this season…