POEM - Snow Kayaking

Under a tired winter sky four boys push a kayak up a hill.
Ruddy faced, icy skinned, they pile in
Limp as cooked spaghetti, careless as wet laundry.
They descend with sluice-like slithering
And steer with kayak paddle fins.

Under a tired winter sky as fading light gilds mellow meadows,
A once wild wind is now demure.
The sky pulls up the nearest hilltop to sit,
Chin in hand, elbow to feet, touching knee
And tries to catch its broken breathe.

Under a tired winter sky Venus pops open like a waking eye.
She offers sweet light to the deep lethargic blue
Descending – dendrite branch tips as pliant
As tousled hair relaxed, grateful
For the respite of these vespers.

Under a tired winter sky the boys, once laughing and cold-bitten
Now sleep like Olympic kayak-ers,
With dreams as complete as a mitten.
Outside, the kayak waits, wanting just one more run.
While Venus yawns and soon retires.

Saturn jealously ogles the kayak far below
Then climbs the sky, to rule Arctic air and luminous snow.