by Mark Weinrich

Anticipation rests 
within the bed 
beside the stone steps.
Gentleness waiting 
in the brown canvas 
of seeds and bulbs.

Like the Babe, the shoot
springing up in Bethlehem
we are reminded, 
the sharpness and harshness 
of this ice-locked world 
are overwhelmingly defeated
through the power
of His tenderness.

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Mark Weinrich lives a creative life as a writer, photographer, musician, and artist—all wrapped together in an outdoorsman. He is a retired pastor and nine-year cancer survivor. His writing and photography have appeared in over 130 news stand, inspirational, and literary publications. He has sold eight children’s books and currently has two fantasy novels on Kindle.