Sixteen degrees sounds like spring, so I go for a walk.
I haven’t left the house in days– restless heart, I needed
scenery until I step into unshoveled snow. I sigh and scrape
the spade against the sidewalk to clear the path for travelers.
A woman rolls a spare tire along the street and, seeing snow
stick to rubber, I decide my walk must end in beer. I follow
her in the direction of the store and buy a six-pack of Truth
and head back home, where my partner asks where I went–
I don’t mean to keep things from her. I just say I needed
to clear my head, and that it’s drinking season. She says
I thought sunshine was drinking season, and that’s true,
too– I can’t go outside without wanting to drink, whether
flurry or thunder. Whichever road I walk leads to wanting.
(originally published in The Literary Yard, Spring 2020)
