midnight snowfall in the sleeping north a black dog at the gate again mind soothing crimson wine and alabaster books lamp shadows veil the plaster ceiling slow dance snowfall in the freezing north a black dog at the gate again mood soothing capsules and therapeutic books deep shadows shroud the plaster ceiling fifteen years of an unheated room signs that weren t there clocks in the room in that harsh chair staring for hours breath fissuring out of me and fixed eyes like stars and i lift tired eyes to the sky dear seamus heaney i hold my boy to my chest snug as a gun lift salt eyes to the sky dear seamus heaney i hold my girl to my chest snug as a gun snow soft footfalls in the freezing west a still moon shines its silver light the whiskey bottle twisted metal on glass another night of echoes and falling  sixteen years old an unheated room signs that weren t there clocks in the room in that bleak chair staring for hours breath fissuring out of me and fixed eyes like stars and i lift tired eyes to the sky dear seamus heaney i hold my boy to my chest snug as a gun lift salt eyes to the sky dear seamus heaney i hold my girl to my chest snug as a gun