the winter caged my soul and held it close
closer than any boy has ever held me
we watch the snowflakes falling softly on the concrete
our town is smoke and evergreen
worn down flannels and pulled up hoods
it's in our blood to endure this kind of cold
to fight these kinds of fights
to find the light in the darkness when the sun sets at 5 pm and we start to wonder if we had ever felt the sun before
our footsteps in the snow are like the words of a poem, delicate messages that linger on
the winter strangles me with the scarf that i wear
my mittens turn to handcuffs
and i cry underneath the ice
waiting for a sunbeam, a bloom of lavender, any sort of promise