the wind bit me, scratched at my back
as i struggled along the sidewalk
thinking
about nothing, about something
that could have been nothing
if i’d just let it be
here i am again, entangled in the bare branches
of an honest winter, a comforting cold
soft snow upon my shoulders
and i just can’t bring myself to reach up
and brush it off
here i am again, outside
despite the frostbite creeping through the sky
and the threat of colder nights
i feel warm
and i know this is the warning sign
a few days before the loss of limbs
a few weeks after i stepped out
and lost myself in the blinding white
here i am again, pulling on my gloves
laces tied, hands in pockets
prepared this time
and yet i am never ready, never fully closed
and the cold air seeps in through the seams
and into my bones
and i shiver
in a good way
letting winter bring me home