CALL ME BELOVED

there was no snow day today – plows roam the streets
clearing the last remnants of our city’s second blanket.
I shuffle into the office, comfortable in my boots,
and enjoy the peace that settles just outside the window.

I have always wished for snow. those long nights spent
staring up at the ceiling, breathless and awake as you plan
a weekday outside of school, for once – the gray clouds
quietly roll in, pregnant with possibilities.

co-workers shuffle in, worn from a cold commute.
they squeak out damp footsteps on the tile floor
and head toward lonely offices, frost scattering
morning sunlight through the glass.

sitting in my office chair, I watch the world wind down
and love the snow anew. it demands a simple respect,
fragile and gentle yet stubborn and unyielding –
difficult to move and content with itself.

the noises of complaint and weariness that
once drifted up and down the hallways of my floor
are muted – the snow has blanketed us too.
we watch our steps. we take deep breaths.