If I had stayed at home

If I had stayed at home
on this cold-curling morn
I wouldn’t have seen the frost
hang curtains of still leaves
or toast the house tops with sugar.

I wouldn’t have been part of the chemistry
that brings invisibility to light
stealing vapour from the air
to crunch in crystals on silver lawns,
I wouldn’t have witnessed the sun and air
conspire to win it back again
in warm breaths.

If I had stayed warm at home
I wouldn’t have seen the sailing moon
silvering the blue-wash sky
or gulls float on the thinner air.

If I hadn’t been abroad
in the breaking of first light
I wouldn’t have seen the seasons of trees
at this cusp of the year
when summer and autumn colours linger
among the branches of black.

I wouldn’t have felt the turning earth
as sunstrips move shadows and ice,
I wouldn’t have felt
living air on my face
or heavy ground under my feet,
I wouldn’t have felt this day
if I had stayed at home.