Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I haven't seen the sun in days; now it's bouncing off the snow, making the ground sparkle.

I can't see the road, but I don't need it. I turn down what I think is the middle of the sidewalk. I have nowhere to go, but I just want to move. I want to walk. I want to feel the cold air on my cheeks until I can't feel anything anymore.

No one is out right now; it's like all of my neighbors are taking turns. I saw the couple down the street venture out first thing this morning. Foggy the dog went around with his owner during lunch. It's like we want to give each other this peace, this quiet, this soft crunch of snow. It's like we want to give each other a moment alone to exist in our own world.

It's easy to pretend I'm the only person in the world. The snow makes everything so quiet. The entire city is shut down, and I can't imagine it any other way. Who would want to drive on this, muddying the pure road with tire tracks? Who would want to cause all of this to turn to dirty slush?

I know that this will melt. After all, the sun is out now. It is back today and it will come back tomorrow, and its rays will warm us and warm the snow. It will clear the road. It will melt my sparkles.

The next time I see grass, it will start turning green. I will sweat as I mow it short. Flowers will bloom, bees will buzz, mosquitos will bite. All of that seems impossible now; out of sight, out of mind.

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