The Author has not seen blue sky in ages
CAPTION: A slightly exaggerated idea of what winter here looks like most days.
the winter I know does not
pose for happy family movies
or storybooks by the fire.
It is an ugly, snowless postcard.
If it is lenient, perhaps it may bother
to freeze the tears on a sad face.
the winter I know does not
advertise nor brand. you will not
recognise its damp rot taste,
flickering shade, or breeze that mutters
or cold just cold enough to stop
all hope of couples holding hands
without gloves. the winter I know is
squatting behind New Year's like
a gray-eyed bandit, ready to pilfer
any excitement, any sorrows.
this winter I know,
wet on the west coast,
is wrong for every time,
but there every time,
and though it may be imagined
feels also, so real.
During the colder months, as bad weather pelts wherever you live (as a North American, we are facing it right now), peoples' moods can change. According to the CDC, Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD, is a real type of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, usually occurring in the fall and winter. In my experience, I don't feel worse when it's cold, but I do feel more calm, reserved, and sometimes bored. When springtime hasn't come but the holidays are all over (and school starts again), time seems to stand still.
In this poem, I tried to evoke the feeling of in-betweeness and neutrality that can happen in any time of life, whether you're taking a break, starting fresh, or trying to process a difficult event. Here's hoping that springtime will be brighter when it arrives! Thanks for reading!
-tomatobean
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