Winter Jasmine

If you sleep with the winter,

You will move slowly through deep blue dreams,

Filled with pale lovers whose eyes are the color of ancient glaciers.

If you have the soul of summer,

You will want to wrap the winter in rose blooms, jasmine, and mint;

You will love her for her stillness,

Her self-possession,

And her very remove,

All the while unable to stop yourself from trying to warm her

With your love

Your body

And your ridiculous hopes.

She will be drawn to you,

And you will think, "Ah! I am the one to save her."

Woman, she does not need saving from herself,

And she will naturally go on, as ever, being who she is.

But you,

Having failed to change her with your intoxicating night blooms,

May find that you have succeeded in altering yourself;

And may wander for some time

Through deep blue dreams of impenetrable ice.

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