no thing warm

an M arrives.
it's 19 degrees.
windy to the bones.

i dress in many layers.
two scarves, a wool
yugoslav military hat
with earflaps.

it's so clear
it's so cold.

it's recognizable
to george washington
at valley forge
wrapped in his blanket
on his horse.

up up up
the up
the sun on
my disrobed noggin
& neck of back
is a highlight
for the day.

all lines are clear
in the well-lit cold.

clouds from smokestacks
give forth great effort
before they dissipate
into the clear
of all the weather

down down
into the labyrinth
of dark
where no thing warm
shines
on my neck.