A poem for you

Turns out that today marks the Second Annual Brigid in Cyberspace Silent poetry reading. I did not know this until just a moment ago when I read about it at Yarn Harlot's blog. I find that I'm sorry I missed the First Annual occurrence of the event.

In honor of this poetical day, I've decided to share with you an original poem. It's about winter and it pretty much matches the sort of day we are having here in Maine at the moment, though I wrote it when I lived in Medford, Massachusetts.

Winter Afternoon

Catholic school girls on the street
With naked knees and stomping feet
Wait for the bus with boys from school
Who hide raw hands in coats of wool.
The crusty snow is coated black.
Relentless wind provides no slack.
Instead it picks up grit and sand
In cracked and cold invisible hands
And pelts the children while they're waiting
With eyes squeezed shut and lips pursed, hating
The winter grime in nose and eyes
And the pressing down of steel-gray skies.


It's not exactly a cheery poem, but I like it. It captures a scene I drove past on my way home from school many afternoons.

Happy Groundhog Day. Here's to an early spring.