The Hurting br br On long, cold winter days one can calculate the hours br of discomfort by the length of unspoken words br between two people across a kitchen table. br Only someone from New England can understand br another denizen of our founding father's nest. br Better to leave words unsaid till spring thaw. br She waits at the window, pressing her nose br against the window pane creating a pattern not unlike br that of the snow angel. You become more hungry br when you wake from hibernation. Your taste becomes br more keen and your palate more forgiving. She br dreams of butterflies and standing naked in the field br with her arms raised high above her head, beckoning br the floating dainties to decorate her hair. Words br have no bite then. The fight is all gone and shook out br along with the rest of the crumbs standing sentry br beside the now lukewarm coffee she poured that morning. br The time of hurting is done. Now is the season br of butterflies.