Winter

the dead of winter settles in
freezing my energy with it’s darkness
it begs for sleep and additional insulation which I freely give
I am drawn to my kitchen
where baking cookies thaws my frostbitten brain
and hot chocolate melts the icicles hanging in my throat
I stand before my oven
trying to remember the warmth of the sun
when layers are stripped for the comfort of nakedness
the howling wind sends me back to bed shivering
where I become an iceberg in a sea of blankets
waiting for spring to defrost my soul


* first published in Curriculum Vitae Literary Supplement