I prepared for winter as if a bear,
eating enough to store a little fat,
prepping my den with soft bedding
and surrounding myself with my
favorite things before thinking about
curling up like a ball of furry fluff.

Then the cold came, and I hunkered in
my corner, ready for hibernation to begin.
Well, eight hours later, I woke to the
pressing needs of primal functions,
cramps in muscles I didn’t know I had,
and hunger growling through my tummy.

How do they do it? The bears,
the reptiles; the bees and the bats?
How do they slow their muscles down,
close their minds to their surroundings
and let sleep overtake their bodies?

Do they eat until they get drowsy,
simply too tired to move?
Do their bodies naturally adapt
to the changing environment?
Or do they meditate into quietude,
re-awakened with the spring?

Just wondering…