Nalini Shetty
Wintering
The doctor calls it seasonal affective disorder, but she knows it as an old ache returning. The weight of sky pressing down. Mornings when even the kettle’s whistle feels too sharp. She buries herself in blankets, in books she once loved, waiting for the thaw.
first crocus
the small, steady push
of color
against everything
that says not yet
About the Author

Nalini Shetty is a stay-at-home mom who writes Japanese short forms. She is published regularly in haikuKATHA, Haiku Dialogue, and other known journals, and is an active member at Triveni Haikai India, where she workshops with masters and fellow writers.
Beautifully penned.
without the crocus, would our winter ever end/