growing up
in a western suburb of Cleveland, Ohio
with just a father in the house with me,
we would
diligently
watch The Weather Channel every morning —
the local weather on the 8s
with its gentle jazz running under
to give a vibe
of what that day’s weather would provide,
and the clearest memory
to me
is this version of “Stormy Weather”
[i believe it is this exact one i’m listening to
now
of the Red Garland Trio]
whenever the weather outside
was set to be relatively
abysmal/
storm or dreary/
rainy day/
cloudy skies
ready to open up
at any moment —
i can hear the offset rhythm,
the harmonies of the piano keys
of a tune i do know the words to,
and i can still see that wood-paneled room
with beige carpet
and cellar door next to the television we’d stare at
trying to guide our coat choices for that day…
and just the two of us
thinking about only the weather
for a moment or two
before the rest of the stress
would settle in
to our aching bones.

[just a moment
a consistent moment
i can remember]