The Snow

a fresh white blanket covers the hill.

i press my palms down into the layers.

flakes fall onto my face.

they melt fast but the feeling stays.

the numbness that soaks the apples of my cheeks.

i take off my mittens.

the pain is worth it.

the cold overrules all.

maybe if i lay here long enough it will swallow me whole. 

my hair turns into damp, tangled strands of amber.

my eyelashes are no longer light brown, but white.

my nose is pink, nearly sunburnt.

there’s a silence that comes with the snow.

a peace of some sort.

i’ve never known a world like this.

a tranquil world.

a worry-free world.

a world where only your breaths are heard.

it almost feels like a dream.

my heart beats quickly inside my chest.

not in fear.

i know fear well.

it’s a different feeling.

the pond smooths over with a thick layer of ice.

the water now looks as though it’s running clean.

the plow scrapes loudly against the asphalt patch of our driveway.

the driver is inconsistent in his schedule, driving my mother mad each morning he doesn't show.

how did i go from santa ana winds to this?

the universe works in mysterious ways.

nearly everyone within our little town groans at the sight of the tiny specks falling to the ground.

“i hate winter”, they all say.

i think it’s a gift. but i’ll never tell them that.