gravelly snow
grey streaked skies
bleary, red-eyed
no beaming smiles, lips grimacing
grey-green skin blends with grey-brown hibernating grass
no glowing skin exposed
to the sun
all covered up in sweaters
and scarves and gloves
nothing left open to chance in the cold
cars all have salty brown patina, same color on ground and sky

colorless days make us thankful for long nights
where behind closed eyes colors explode like
shards of light, warming all the way
up through the fingertips
skin making warmth like swirls of writhing colors
carries us to the next day
like a memory of a summer’s night