Snow Day

At the top
You stand poised
A clash of redyellowpinkblack
All the warm things we could round up
Serving as soft armor against the hard chill

At the bottom
I’m gazing up at you
Caught off guard by the
Roundness still in your cheeks
Temporarily masking young bravado

Next week
The sun will shine
The snow will dirty and melt
At the park you’ll scream to be left alone
As I take the sharp of your elbow and guide you home

But today
You ask me to go first
Forge a path smooth and safe for you
Before trekking back up to where you wait
And running back down alongside you ad nauseum

I pause
At the bottom
Beckon you into woods ahead
You hesitate as I lead you further in
But you trust me and besides can’t resist an adventure

We pause
And ice floes
Cascade down my cheeks
I know I’m crying but not how to stop
Just swipe at the tears roughly with gloved hands

There’s something
That moves me to my core
In the way the sweet sugared branches
Bow under the blessing of their new weight
No other choice but to wait patiently for the thaw

I can’t recall
How to breathe
But you don’t notice
Grab my sleeve and tug
Ready to go back up the hill

So I remember
Because isn’t that motherhood?
I could die
But for you reminding me to live