day 24: snow day: a poem, inspired by prolonged isolation

It’s a snow day.
A whole city of humans
slowly going insane
in little boxes.

It’s a snow day.
I spent six hours squinting
down the street
through a curtain
of white gauze.
I couldn’t see
more than
a block away,
so I stayed home.

It’s a snow day.
I’ve kissed my cat’s forehead
a hundred times,
the smooth place
between her eyes
above the tiny gray spot
that appeared one day
out of nowhere
and made me worry
about cancer.
“Calicos are weird like that,”
my friend said.
I believed him
because I wanted to.

It’s a snow day.
I’m stuck at home,
but my mind
travels.
The icy trenches
I’ve dug while
shaving my legs
cooking some rice
waiting for the kettle to boil
all lead
directly
to
your
front
door.

It’s a snow day.
The hardware store is
out of shovels.
I wait for the next delivery
with fucking
Leonard Cohen’s
motherfucking
cold, broken hallelujah
and a metal stand
of fruit & vegetable seeds –
monster tomato,
purple tomatillo,
Spanish carrot,
jalapeno pepper.
The air smells of
toxic fertilizer and
unwashed jeans.

There are five of us
waiting for shovels.
We are all women,
alone.

I walk down
the center of the road
where the snow is packed
smooth and solid,
my new
ergonomic
snow shovel
resting on my shoulder.
On the sidewalk,
the snow comes up
to my knees.
My shoes
are not waterproof.

It’s a snow day.

I’ve communicated mostly
through clicks
and likes.
Memes remind me to
SEIZE THE DAY
&
DON’T WAIT TO SAY I LOVE YOU
&
NEVER SETTLE
&
KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON.
I like them.
I stare at my phone.
I refresh my email.
Outside, three people
tromp down the street
in colorful hats and scarves.
A moment later,
their photo pops up
on my newsfeed.

It’s a snow day.
The pumpkin candle
I got on clearance
smells more like
laundry detergent.
People outside are
shouting
laughing
sledding down the hill
in the park
across the street.
I’ve eaten
too many carbs today.
I put on
bright red lipstick
for no reason
and smudged it on
my coffee mug.

I’m scared all the time.

I’m not living right.