I invoke the encroaching winter,
And all its baneful breezes.
Its touch a piercing splinter,
Within, my blood soon freezes.

Its claws caress my trembling skin,
A lover’s cold embrace;
A scent of juniper and sin,
It leaves without a trace. 

The snowflakes whirl in dazzling white,
A dance of faerie folk.
They shimmer in the morning light,
Beyond the towering oak. 

The winding gales whisper song
Forgotten to mankind.
They sing of endings here ere long,
And death not far behind.

The weeping willows beckon me  
To lie beneath their shade.
They whisper that I’ll soon be free
To sleep and then to fade.

I invoke the approaching winter,
And all its gifts and treasons.
From Samhain to Midwinter,
I greet the end of seasons.

[Ashley Dioses is a writer of dark poetry and fiction from southern California.  Her fourth collection of Gothic and fantastical poetry, Diary of a Vampyress, is forthcoming from Hippocampus Press in 2026.  Her poetry has appeared in Weird Fiction Review, Cemetery Dance Publications, Weirdbook, and others.  Her poem “Cobwebs,” was mentioned in Ellen Datlow’s recommended Best Horror of the Year Volume Twelve list. She has also appeared in the Horror Writers Association Poetry Showcase 2016 and 2020 for her poems “Ghoul Mistress” and “Her Heart that Flames Would Not Devour” respectively.  She was also a nominee for the 2019 Pushcart Prize.  She is an Active member in the HWA and a member of the SFPA.  She blogs at fiendlover.blogspot.com.]