This winter is difficult to carry alone,
I feel it gnawing at my brittle bones.
It growls when I leave, howls when I return,
It chokes me out with its freezing fur.
The darkness slips through my window at night,
I feel it lingering to my right.
It holds up my chin and makes me drink,
It drowns me in thoughts I cannot win.
The snow is falling gently on my floor,
And the winds run through the open door.
My limbs go numb, my tongue capitulates.
As the light will die, they will speculate –
What happened to her, what happened here?
Was she killed by a heartbreak or was it fear?
They will never blame the long winter nights,
They will never check their alibis,
And they will say:
“She didn’t put up a fight.”
-Jackie
The Daily Writing of Jackie Wright 