At twenty-below
our halos froze midair,
shattering down
on the sidewalk
into 12 inches
of something slippery.
I could not cup
my alpaca gloves enough
to catch your clouded breath
and prevent our freezing couplet.
Spring will come
soon enough, sure to wreck
our wintry alliance
with all its fussy
blooming.
Melissa Louis Fletcher has been published in Newsweek, Indigo Rising, Pregnant Moon Review, X is for Xylophone and others. She was raised with polite midwest sensibilities but has lived all over the place, too. Although currently residing in the Twin Cities, she steadfastly remains a Wisconsin Badger football fan.
