spring tides pull
hard on the heart
melt water fills streams
tears, sometimes blood
northern sun shines sad
gusts of sorrow off the sea
gulls and godwits return
ravens build their nests
in the cemetery chainsaws
cut permafrost below crosses
we tremble
with the willows
what is, what was
what will be
could be
summer tides deliver dawn
that last for days, then
comes the fear, fleeting
too soon
gulls and godwits turn south
ravens nests stand empty