Take away the color of the sky
the field the wash of water in the
river there is nothing here but
variations of absence my bones
break and the marrow opens up
to the cold permeating splitting
like lean ice overlaying the thicket
of evergreen take it all away the
bitter air the swath of dirty white
rimming the shoulder of the road
breath freezes in pale clouds that
ascend as the snow tumbles like
ashen thoughts collecting in drifts
at the feet of the mountains I
turn my wheel navigating the
turnpike watching the monochrome
landscape fall apart between me
and the salt smeared glass of the
windshield
