WEST FORK KICKAPOO – Jane shares her poem ‘In Between’ with the Independent-Scout’s readers.

In between

Halloween decorations and New Year’s Eve party horns,

apple pie and pecan pie,

grass and snow,

shoes and boots.

In between

cotton and flannel sheets,

soft and hard butter,

free hair and hats,

the car starting and the battery dying.

In between

windshield wipers and ice scrapers,

long skirts and long johns,

forty degrees and below zero,

hiking and snowshoeing.

In between

shedding dogs and thick fur,

short hair and long hair,

light jackets and parkas,

salads and soups.

In between

light and dark,

one blanket and four,

bikes and cross country skis,

regular tires and snow tires.

In between

smooth cuticles and cracked cuticles, 

viewing a movie and binge-watching,

apple cider and eggnog,

naked trees and hoarfrost.

In between

normal weight and hibernation weight,

long-sleeved shirts and fleece pullovers,

fields of corn and fields of stubble,

empty silos and full ones.

In between

combines and snowplows,

dogs wanting to go out and dogs not getting off the couch,

mice outside and mice inside,

leaving in the dark and coming home in the dark.

In between

cold tea and hot chocolate,

bare necks and scarves,

patio furniture and empty porches,

blooming flowers and indoor succulents.

In between

trick-or-treating and Christmas caroling,

cooking and baking,

fresh fruit and frozen fruit,

showers and long baths.

In between

s’mores and marshmallows for cocoa,

outside projects and indoor projects,

picking up dog poop and kicking frozen dog poop,

not seeing inside the woods and seeing through the woods.

In between

clear roads and black ice,

traction and sliding,

no lamps and heat lamps,

pumpkin spice and peppermint.

In between

deer dashing about and dogs puking up deer guts,

long days and short days,

crossword puzzles and thousand-piece jigsaw puzzles,

messy closets and organized closets.

In between

pumpkins and Christmas tree lights,

water bowls and heated bowls,

wrist warmers and wool mittens,

only bills and bills with catalogs and cards.

In between

no heat and woodstoves,

warm feet and cold feet,

gardening gloves and leather Kinkos

rubber work boots and Sorrels.

In between

saving and giving,

rakes and snow shovels,

vodka tonics and Tom and Jerrys,

windows open and windows closed.

In between

mosquitoes and Asian beetles,

garter snakes and more inland eagles,

raking leaves and shoveling snow,

Indian corn and snowmen.

The in-between season,

more resting, reading,

redecorating, researching,

reflecting, rejuvenation,

regrowth.

More kindness,

laughter.

Joy,

and love.