winter leaf peeping:

with golden ground, smoky sky,

you forget you’re cold

Kentucky means love:

dogs, cousins, archery, fire

warming up winter

winter road trip rules:

ignore temperature, whiteouts;

drive to St. Louis

you’ve missed the beauty

(snow we’ve waited all year for)

(your silence kills it)

with feathery flakes

never wanting to falter

i weaved my way down

you didn’t see me

your eyes too fixed on the phone

that you came to save

if i had left you?

phone in bed, no parents, free?

what would you see then?

the tears blinding views,

the white-knuckle drive danger,

all swallowed by me?

or just the drug-screen

stealing you from falling flakes,

from an active life?

i will never know

because you won’t talk to me

above silent snow

snow introduced winter

making a killer cold view

on my morning walk

trying to embrace

the next phase of motherhood

no matter how hard

during doldrum week

mountains are all i can see

waiting for weekend

cloud searching resumes

with another slope season

(nothing beats that view)

she’s growing up fast

and i’m going to miss her

wherever she goes

it started with snow

melted by apologies

so long overdue

it ended with pride

melded in exhibitions

so worth the effort