Things that will be missed this winter
Written on 15 - 11 - 20 --- Published here on 04 - 01 - 21
Things that will be missed is another imagist/micropoem with a focus on the things I remember fondly about winter; ranging from walks as a kid, to exploring the Manchester markets as a teenager
I wanted to focus on things that protect you, like the safety of your own home - not just from the cold, but from the Coronavirus pandemic that made Christmas 2020 so different
Elbows touching at the kitchen table, shirt cuffs dragged through gravy;
legs crossing on the floor, new socks brushing on the soft fireside carpet
The drive home, fog on the windscreen, headlights splintering like ancient pine
onto your sleeping lap; a wreath waiting on the door, light spilling from the porch
Polystyrene bowls of hot garlic potatoes, skewered by a spindly wooden fork;
bodies touching shoulders, butter dribbling from chins onto colourful scarves
Rambling riverside walks and the family dog, brindle spotted with flecks of white;
brittle clothes peeled off in a creaking hallway, draped on the banister to dry
Drawn curtains and a weary sofa, plates of homemade mince pies; the comfort of knowing –
despite rapidly darkening skies – that you will all be together in time