DECEMBER 31, IDAHO

Temperature, time, day 0 degrees
Old two faced god Janus
Still guards his swinging door,
The frozen snow-clad earth is hushed,
No sound disturbs the bitter spread of cold.
The sun has set behind the western hills.
The eastern mountain's snow is briefly blushed
in brilliance, glowing pink in some reflected ray
The cold has stilled all breath of winter wind
Pine tops, compass-needle straight point up
to mark tonight's fast dark descend
This rapid closing of December thirty first.
Tonight's the pivot point,
the Janus door
The end of dying earth, tomorrow brings rebirth.
Tomorrow and tomorrow and tomorrow
The days will grow towards summer's flowering,
But now before today's black end.
Reality is -- point 0 degrees!