It strikes me a rewrite is like a translation - from the "original"  to how
one now sees it -  this one has now been warmed up into a kind of christmas
greeting. I realise too what I didnt when I first did this, that it is in
haiku mode.

bw
SallyE

Dark cycle

the deep darkness    in northern lands
mint and rosemary    crack and dry
leaves gather in ruts    no swallows left
to clothe and soothe    windswept trees
we batten doors    inside thick walls
five weeks four weeks    till year's turn
then still the two    coldest months
in moors mountains    islands seas
our small town    its ribbon road
the sub-station    frequently blown
emergency lighting    candles
freezer stores    telephone numbers
email addresses     thoughts wishes

at the heart     holly fires
crude baubles     envelopes from friends

the deep darkness   of wise sleep
pale sun seeps    through the people
holed up indoors   we take a walk
out of our street   to the country
we drive through    monochrome days
hoard artichokes    under the ground
collapsed sorrel    on the surface
juniper and fir    water swirls
down black rivers    winter winning
wind before snow    after raindrops
robins peck    at the window
a slice of bread   us two alone
our northern lands   in deep darkness