Today the wind blew
steady from the north
chilling the valley floor
dusting the hills
with a thin sprinkling of snow
not much but still enough
to dazzle when the sun
slid from behind the clouds
and in a flash
the hills that wind around
our little town
came into sharper focus
and seemed suddenly
imposing in a way
you'd never seen before
it was as if the air itself
turned crystalline
refracting sky and clouds
bringing things closer
giving depth
and meaning to the day
as when you look
into the eyes of someone
you thought you knew
and see for the first time
the hidden angel
looking back at you
smiling at your surprise