in July he came home with nothing to live for
and damn near died in the scope of a rifle
in August our sweet cat took ill and died
his demise leaving us bereft and miserable
in September, more fore-shadowings of doom
clues of certain guarantees being over
(another friend buried)
in October my girlfriend left for good
tricked into moving
while her home was sold out from under her
in November my brother nearly starved to death
eating no sit-down Thanksgiving dinner
in December I was given official family walking papers
irreconcilable indifference, the treason
in January I knew it was the New Year
but I couldn't look forward
much less look backwards
then wretched winter came
breaking down all the trees
making us shut-ins
layering the roads with impassable snow and black ice
in a city with barely 30 plows
and no no-how to get rid of it
homeless babies died the very hour they were born
homeless men and women froze solid to the ground
spring couldn't come soon enough
for a world that badly needed love
and thawing out
I couldn't feel my heart beating
nor hear its comforting steadiness
perhaps, I too,
was frozen
