A Myriad of Winters

The one with the tiny tree with red lights on it

And icicles forming on its gutters…]

Inside we are bundled in our beds.

The snow outside falling ever so softly.

Snowflakes the size of peppermints

But much less round

The door to my bedroom is cracked open just the slightest bit

The hallway light creeping in

Illuminating only a sliver of the room

I stare at the door

Waiting for it to open

Waiting for the sandman to come and take my dreams

It’s 11 o’clock

And the shadows creep under my door

Reaching for my ankles

[I pull my blankets tighter]

Then I hear

The medicine cabinet hung on the wall above the sink

opening

Running water over a toothbrush

The way it scratches against grown-up teeth

The click of the cabinet closed

Two sets of footsteps

And the door creaks

“Edie?”

and I know I should be asleep, but I answer anyway.

“May we join you?”

And you both lay down beside me.

A lone lovebird

and a grounded Snowbird

In Upstate, NY

on a snowy Friday night

Motionless, we watch the snow fall under the motion light.