January 11, 2022

every step
i take
outside
in the
wind-chill-at-1-degree-fahrenheit
air
i say to myself
‘this sucks,
but it’s not as bad as Wisconsin’
‘i hate this
but it’s not as bad as Wisconsin’
‘i’m cold
but this isn’t nearly as bad
as Wisconsin’

we might have sub-zero winds
today
but at least we don’t have
starting-at-negative-twenty-with-wind-chills-down-to-negative-fifty
don’t-stay-outside-longer-than-five-minutes-or-your-retinas-will-freeze
snowing-so-hard-you-have-to-shovel-the-driveway-four-times-in-five-hours-to-keep-up
weather…

this sucks,
i hate this,
i’m so damn cold,
but at least i’m not out in the air of Wisconsin.

November 26, 2021

there’s snow
snow outside
snow out of doors
snow dropping flakes
on my giant winter coat
designed with astronauts in mind
but it still can’t keep me completely warm
in Wisconsin Winters
and Northern Ohio Thanksgivings
and Pennsylvania Stays

but maybe,
just maybe,
when we’re back in New York
(the city)
the weather will be a bit more reasonable
and i can keep warm
and it won’t snow too much
and i can keep being excited about
NYC
instead of dreaming of
far-off
LA
NOLA
Costa Rica
places where my body feels
it was meant to be
(at least in the cold months)