whisper-soft
my arms close around empty space
i'm chilly
with a contrast of your heat
to match holly berries

my mind rambles nonsense
while your sweet scent lingers
and I crave the silence
of new snow

rolling out of bed finally
makes me feel like Rose
after 100 years of sleep
my eyes with silvery moon dust
and a quilt like a royal purple robe
i am the empress of evergreen needles

brother of mine,
hide-and-seek
is no fun for me
when you make it so easy
your eight-years-yesterday feet
showing underneath a curtain
of deepest blue

i catch you like a fish
squirming in water, and cold
warm you with a hug and quilt
your happy, golden smile a reward

little boy, how do i save you
from the world
how can you hold such genius in your head
while my own mind empties out,
graying matter growing sluggish

i think it's all i can do
so instead of sitting
to stay warm
we dress up like eskimos
and romp through a frozen fairyland
naming it for itself, a snow day