White flakes fall from the sky.
My eyes spring open. I jump out of bed.
The window blinds me!
I trip and fall on my head.
The television glows,
Forecast calls for inches doubled,
I’m not going to worry about that—
School is cancelled!
Put on my boots,
Hat,
Gloves,
Scarf,
Jacket,
No time to make my bed!
I’m too busy grabbing my sled!
On top of the highest hill,
Here I go!
Ice in my eyes!
Hahahahaha!
The atmosphere fills with my laughter and cries.
20 years later.
I’m shivering, freezing, coughing.
My car is slipping, sliding, skidding—
On black ice and slush.
No sense in worrying. The storm is ending.
…Wait…what?
…Another 15 inches?
The storm is here to stay,
Slush. Sleet. Hail. Wintry mix—no springtime finches.
Now I lie in my bed,
As white flakes fall from the featureless gray.
My eyes are closed. I hope and wish—
That tomorrow won’t be another snow day.
Snowball fight!
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Yea…that is life to a tee…mind you..I still love the metamorphosis into fairyland of everything around me that snow brings and a toboggan gets my heart racing with all kinds of emotions and excitement. In my youth , in the Netherlands, we used to hang on car bumpers whilst lying on tummy on sledge, and get towed along …20, 30 kids at the time…poor driver had no idea what he was towing behind him. Oh those were the days. Ha, ha .Yea, Yea, and all that because of your poem. xx
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Toboggans can go pretty fast — but the person in front better be steadfast and brave! Especially if the hill is steep…and especially if there are numerous people squishing you into the front of the toboggan! Haha
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Nice juxtaposition of you as a child enjoying the snow, and then you as an adult dreading it. Well done!
I bet I could’ve beaten you at sledding, though 😀
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…Yeaaaah right! Take one trip on a toboggan with me and your life will never be the same. Trust me.
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That actually sounds fun in a crazy way! Toboggan. I love that word and haven’t heard it in a long time. Do people on the east coast really say that word instead of sled? Or is this the poet in you?
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No — we use the term to distinguish it from other types of sleds. My family did own a toboggan, which inspired my comment.
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