Snow Days

Yesterday's snow came with a surprise--when I finally left work and got into the car to come home, I realized that some angel had cleared my windshield for me.  If I wasn't such a wimp with the weather, I'd try to pay that forward.

Today, I got a leisurely day at home and got to work out, clean the house, and wash my hair with no hard deadlines. And although that doesn't sound particularly hedonistic, it felt luxurious.

It was Big A's work holiday party today. But when the morning news predicted 8-10 inches of snow, I decided we weren't going to drive in it. Big A wanted to keep the babysitter so we could do a date-night, but I really didn't want our high-school babysitter to be driving in all this snow either.

I made the saffron shrimp linguini for dinner though, so I think everyone's mollified.

_

Inflection

I know my footprints make

achy commas in the snow

Icy shibboleths of everywhere 

I've been, when breath catches.

I keep finding these reminders--

the plainsong of my wandering

as though to say: now just pause

'cos--no one's ever here that long.

So commas--broken signs of all

kinds: earned, separate, or set off--

Of course I've known forever how

I am guilty of love--never list me alone.

_

'Yas

Not a day goes by that I don't think of cousin PD and the other 'Yas. It could be because something reminded me to think of our house as a home rather than as a real-estate investment; or I bought myself flowers when no one else did; or I'm driving in the snow and remembering her telling me about black ice, and to go slow on NJ hills; or because I got a mouthful of something spicy that reminded me of the rasam-buvva that she hand-fed me when I was too pregnant/nauseated to feed myself; or I'm yearning for times while we watched the kids play and could conduct sotto voce discussions of family, nation, or culture for hours.

When she texted me that she was going to be close by visiting her elementary schoolmates for the weekend to celebrate turning 50 in a few months, AND that she could spend a night with us... I squealed and then called her so she could hear me.

It was everything I imagined.

_

Forward

Around the eaves
a feathered departure

bookmarks your godhead,
your stubborn extension

of earth, home, earthliness.
It lifts me too for a moment

like the gaiety of someone
else's car music

_

Party weekend

I went to three parties yesterday (college holiday party, international student party, fundraiser) and two parties today (student Christmas party, colleague/friend's Festivus party)

I got to drag Big A and Nu to one yesterday and one today.

I will take that as success.

_

Takes after her Mama

I mentioned over dinner 

that I'd like to see the movie

 after Sarah raved about it.

So when Nu found the book

at the school book fair,

she got it for me, and even

WRAPPED IT UP FOR CHRISTMAS!

But she was too excited 

to give it me later and insisted 

that I open it right-away :P 

_

Vibrations

It is dawn in a dream and
my body is made of politics

nerves write these goodbyes
language breaks at my joints

water seldom returns to eyes
(though it does get in my nose)

we are afraid to admit it--
our days are ephemeral

insects chide and chatter
stars grind and grumble

_