What I Did on Thursday -- A Poem

Shopping in the Snow

The trucks come early, clearing snowy streets,
Creating mountains brown and white and high.
The storefront lights hum on as traffic beats
The sun, which in an hour will crack the sky.
I wake and greet the morning warm and slow
For soon I'll be out shopping in the snow.

I wish my gloves were warmer than they are
As I scrape ice from off my Nissan's glass.
A broom removes white inches from the car.
I check the engine's tank is full of gas.
My frozen cheeks have now begun to glow
As I prepare for shopping in the snow.

With coffee downed and car warmed up I back
Into the lane. I slip and slide about
Until I find a drier, well-worn track.
The traffic will be slow I have no doubt.
How tiring this long day will be, I know --
Another bundled shopper in the snow.

I have my children's wishlists in my coat
(For all their wants I can't afford to pay),
And I will do my best with what they wrote
To see their happy faces Christmas day.
I know that soon my cash will start to flow
Like blood from wounds out in this virgin snow.

I'm hitting shops and crossing off my list
Each item that will be a Christmas treat.
And even though there are things that I've missed,
In early afternoon I call defeat.
I journey home with bags of gifts in tow.
So ends my day of shopping in the snow.