The late April snow.
Many tracks point the way home.
My dog howls for food.

Still lakes wait for wind.
Who sees behind those closed eyes?
A fool leaves the path.

Guests abound within
My household fills up today.
A wonderful gift.

Who knocks at my door?
The watchmaker’s nemesis
visiting briefly.

A sword through the heart
capturing my attention.
The dragon awaits.

I can feel your breath,
whisper from the bottom up.
Vapor hangs like dust.

Crisp leaves cling to ice.
Who lurks at the water’s edge?
A frog’s damp “hello.”

The path is obscure,
as I drink from a clear brook.
I am not alone.

Billy Krause was a beloved songwriter, musician, performer and friend throughout the Chippewa Valley and beyond. These poems are taken from A Collision of Words: A Memoir in Verse (2021). For more by and about him, search for his name at VolumeOne.org.