Poem
At first, winter feels like magic—
fresh snow soft as a dream,
quiet mornings wrapped in white,
a calm, untouched serene.
I welcome coats and steaming cups,
the hush, the glittering light,
the beauty of a slowing world,
the early fall of night.
But slowly, something shifts inside—
the wonder fades away,
as snow becomes a daily weight
that never seems to stray.
The winter sits heavy on my chest,
a long, unbroken breath of white—
days stitched together by grey skies,
nights that come too soon, too quiet.
Snow falls like a tired habit,
again, again, again—
covering roads, covering footsteps,
covering parts of me I can’t explain.
I am weary of boots and layers,
of the cold that seeps through bone,
of watching life from behind frosted glass,
feeling endlessly alone.
Even the sun feels distant here,
a shy and fleeting guest—
it barely stays, it barely warms,
it never does its best.
I count the days without counting,
I sigh at forecasts I don’t trust,
I wonder if the world remembers
how to bloom beyond this dust.
But somewhere beneath this frozen ground,
beneath the stubborn, silent snow,
there are roots that have not given up,
there are seeds that still will grow.
And maybe hope is quiet like that—
not loud, not bright, not bold,
just a small, persistent whisper:
this won’t always be the cold.
Because no matter how long winter stays,
no matter how deep it seems—
spring is not a question of if,
only a matter of unseen dreams.
And one day, without asking,
the snow will loosen its hold…
and I will remember what it feels like
to thaw,
to breathe,
to unfold.
Kids Help Phone (KHP) is honoured to share creative content submitted by youth from coast to coast to coast as they Feel Out Loud with us. We thank the Feel Out Loud Community Creator of this piece for their contribution to youth mental health and well-being in Canada. For more information on the Feel Out Loud Community Creator Space and / or how you can submit your own creative content for possible publication, you can visit the submission page.
