i'm not sure what to tell you;
the streetlights were on
too early
& frostbite climbed up my body
in goosebumped footsteps
as i slipped on black ice
beneath unplowed snow
on the sidewalk
& found myself
a long hill to slide down
with many a quick turn
to make sure that i kept
falling back down
in case i'd managed to get
to my feet.
the skies were permanently
gray now, it seemed,
just fluctuating along grayscale
like a winter's day
on the thermometer
as hot air whispered
from my mouth
whenever i thought of you;
i could probably find you
with my eyes closed,
if i had the courage
to feel around me
instead of sliding my hands
into my pockets
like i knew yours must be too
whether or not
you'd noticed me
while my glasses were fogged
with contrast
from what i've been used to
to what the room temperature
could be.
i'm not sure whether to tell you;
you wrapped your arms
around me like a scarf
in a dream last night,
covering my mouth
so that i couldn't just talk
myself out of this
& had to concentrate
on my other senses
that told me all you needed
to hear
as our eyes laughed sighs
& our cheeks flushed
from the wind that interrupted
our conversation
of body language.
you stepped even more carefully
than i did, avoiding
the cracks in the sidewalk
in case you might fall in
so i am the one
who has to break the ice;
yet, i'm not sure how to tell you
that i've wondered
whether i might get stuck
on your lip ring
if we kissed in a snowstorm
like a child who caught a snowflake
on her tongue from a fence -
but i'm not sure that i'd care.
A contest entry
- abstract/imagery/metaphor by sideways hourglass.
550 points, ended December 21, 2008, 10 entries
Gold trophy winner
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest - should you be on my favorites? by Melissa Gayle.
600 points, ended February 3, 24 entries
Honorable mention
• next poem in this contest, remove from contest
Comments
1 - 7 of 7
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I have missed you dearly.
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awwwwww
I've missed you too, Melissa 
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I hate your author's note and you know why
But congrats on the gold because it was well deserved despite that author's note. There is so much heart and soul in this piece. I feel it to the depths of my being. It is beautifully written and a exceptional piece of poetry.
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What makes me happiest is that I know who/what this is about - so it really allows me to explore your poetry that much better. Even if someone didn't know who it was, the major overall theme and situation is really clear and powerful...
...through your brilliant imagery and metaphor. I loved this Christina, I could feel the stress and emotion of the hard situation in every ounce of this piece.
No duh that Gold trophy is there.
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"you wrapped your arms
around me like a scarf
in a dream last night,
covering my mouth
so that i couldn't just talk
myself out of this
& had to concentrate
on my other senses
that told me all you needed
to hear
as our eyes laughed sighs
& our cheeks flushed
from the wind that interrupted
our conversation
of body language"
That was absolutely breathtaking. *sigh* It's like those really passionate scenes that we dream about, and when it does happen, it's such a great feeling that the thought of losing it is scary; so we try to avoid it, so that our heart doesn't fall in love; so that we remain guarded. But sometimes things are so good and feel so right that it just gets harder to avoid it.
Even though I have my favorite part, every bit of this is beautiful. I can totally relate to this - especially right now in my life - and it really just grabbed my heart.
Loved it.
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Amazing
That was....wow. I loved that. I seriously did. Whether you meant to or not, I got a lot from it. I love it!
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beautiful
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