Footprints in the snow
Yellow caution tape
over the duck pond
      THIN ICE
Patches of frost covering
each bench and picnic table,
becoming frostbitten.

A warmer winter day
doesn't always come this often
but when it does 
children run up the toboggan hill
and slide all the way down
And repeat.
They don't mind the snow in their
hair, the snow in their socks.
“look out”
the father yells
the daughter yells.

they don't mind
their soaked jeans or the lost mitten
covered in 10 pounds of heavy snow.
Bikes and winter tires.
dogs off leash
in all their freedom
wagging tails and flapping ears. 

Tracing initials in bark
the faint letters
the faint love.

most days winter
chews on flesh like
stale gum. Carrying
a red numbness.
But not today.

What is in this air
snowflakes caressed
frozen relief. What is in
this sky that wasn't here
one day ago.

Maybe it was an angel
Maybe not.
Maybe it was you
Checking up on me again.