When Freeze Sets In

 

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When it’s freezing outside
It’s hard to picture
the delight of splashing
sun-hot bodies in
cold ocean, an ocean
that does not freeze over,
even when today’s snow
hits its moving waves.
But I picture it anyway.
 
When it’s freezing outside,
I bundle up so skin
stays warmer than snow,
and my strong heart beats
happily in my breast. 
I picture pine trees slowing
their sap and feeding their
roots and cones so seeds
grow ready for spring.
 
I felt frozen when my
candidate was defeated
in the last US election.
Now I try to remember
to treat the deep freeze
with images of trees
and ocean as we build
into the future.  It’s hard,
but we do it anyway. 

For my prompt "What Cold Is" at What's Going On? 

My blog poems are rough drafts.

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© 2025 Susan L. Chast