Poem for Kacie
after you check my blood pressure
you smile while threatening
to steal my prized winter coat
asking where i got it
on a cold day in ohio
so vivid that we can both almost still see it
even though you were never there
after nearly fifteen years
one of the sleeves
coming apart at the seams
will require another glaze of gorilla glue
before the winter sets in
but like you
some things are one of a kind
i want to take you back into my past
when everything still felt soft
& smelled like a field of red carnations
where you could feel my heart beating
as i imagined
wiping the snow
from your lips
& placing the coat
over your slim shoulders in repose.
About the Author: John Dorsey is the former poet laureate of Belle, Missouri and the author of Pocatello Wildflower. He may be reached at archerevans@yahoo.com.
Image Credit: Harris & Ewing “Snow” (1936) Public domain image courtesy of The Library of Congress
As It Ought To Be 