Long smooth
Shirt with cozy
Soft pants. Sock
Weather.

Hair down, face
Against cold, frozen window-
Sill. Fingers glide across Frost-
Drops, sliding across
Panes. So
Frigid, fingers are
Thawing on home air. Blue
Bits speckle the light grey
Canopy, slowly moving. I am
Watching them glide across
The sky.

Leaving clear crispness,
Going to the
Warm place –
Rich, bountiful
Sweet-smelling preparation room.


I go back. Reflections a-
Plenty and gazing a-
While. Greyer and greyer a-
Bove. Lighter and lighter be-
Low. Gently dropping puppy-footprints,
Slowly sprinkling diamond
Sugar, then tufts of fairy-floss
Fluff, then looking Down. Clean, downy sheet blankets
Mother Nature.

The sheet is getting downier
And
Downier.
Daddy is home from work already.
The garage door opens-- luckily.
Ten-inch-tall-mountain, flat
On one side, is Revealed.

Sugar stays sweet,
Blanket stays downy,
Diamonds stay glittering

Silver.

Cozy warm long fleece
Warm cozy lovely thick
Blanket.
Hot air blowing
Even colder out There.
Lights down the road
Nestled in snow.
Freezing wind,
Yet
Safe
Inside my warm window.


Toast Eggs Coffee
I wake up to. My
Nose leads me down. But
First I look out my
Window. Blankets and
Pillows and sheets
Calm the morning world.
None falling now,
But
All night long they
Whispered and laughed
And came.

The warm room,
Coffee Eggs Toast.

Then long thick
Legs
Big puffy
Stomach
Long wraparound
Neck
High Wide
Feet
Warm tall
Ears
Fat Stubby
Fingers.

Into the blanket.

Hook fingers onto
Sled, down
The road.
Where is the
Sidewalk? Grass? Curb? Street?
The blanket is so deep
And Downy
My high, wide feet fall
Through. Perfectly calm
School’s out, snow
Day. Sleeping
In for some.

Doorbell.
Run (if we can)
And slide. Sled.
Hands pick up
Freeze. Tongue
Out, feel cold, dry
Air then cold, wet
Freeze. Exhilarate
And accelerate, yellow
Runners smooth
Scraping fairy floss.
Oh--
Tumble sideways, scarf
Encrusted,
Face cold and wet.
Giggle and screech
As we do.


Cold. Inside warm room,
After tromping down to
Dry room, peeling off
Wet.
Hot thaw,
Sweet liquid inside tea cup.

Inside for awhile,
Snows more.

“Daddy?”
In our snowsuits,
Boots
Scarves
Hats.
Short ride
Up to hills.
Unload
Yellow runners
Purple runners.
Up a drift.
“Daddy?”
Down a drift.
Up a drift again.
Down the same.

Again.

Giggle and screech
As we do.

Big hill. Huge snow.
Lots of kids.
Off… Faster--
Faster--
Faster--
Tumble to the side.
Giggle.

Next hill--
No need for a sled.
So slick and skinny
Our pants work just
Fine.

Next hill.
Next hill.
Same hill.
Back to last hill.
Next hill.

Exhilaration,
Chilly thrills.

It’s getting dark.
Riding home,
Short drive.

Inside warm room,
After tromping down to
Dry room, peeling off
Wet.

Goodbye bright, downy
Blanket. Tonight snow
Will fall again. The
Sun retreats early,
Finding
Rest in the drifts.

I retreat late,
Finding
Rest in my soft,
Downy blanket.