Among The Frost

I trudge through five miles of inch thick snow
To lay a rose under a bare oak tree
And trace carvings of names I used to know;
Names of loved ones, now gone and lost to me.
Ev'ry winter I make this lone journey,
Admiring the scene along the way:
The snowflakes dance toward the ground, softly
Yet are oft caught by the limbs of this grave,
(Gravestone or tree trunk; they hold the same place
Between death and the life it makes lonely)
But some snow sinks beneath the tree limbs' lace.
Then how well the cold has a hold of me
A keen reminder of the loves I've lost
So many years ago; among the frost

Not my best, but it's my latest.

I like it. Some suggestions that (in my opinion) will make it much better.

Keep everything the same except remove lines 4,13, and 14.

I would also question your use of oft'. Why not often? Is there a reason for this?

Try my suggestions, and see if you like it better. I think that removing those lines would make the poem less confrontational and more subtle.

It's a sonnet, written for school. So, I had some rules I had to stick to.

Thank you for your suggestions! I'll probably change it up to better suit my personal taste when I get the time and I'll certainly take your insight into consideration.