Red Heat
on this day
in Winnipeg
even polar bears
watch us from Broadway,
and we sit and love
on these historic steps
leading up to our Hotel Fort Garry,
and hold, for a time,
icy bottles of cream soda and
the condensation and rings
drive us mad, with love,
and people hit their brakes
and honk at us,
smiling at your wedding dress,
here in the northern sunlight,
but then we had to leave it
in your parents’ basement, for a
time to cross
a country and then a sea
of wild rye and nodding needles
and the cold concrete
at the border station, with its
erect black uniforms, silver
sunglasses and
latex fingers and,
the prairie wind howls,
whips
at the bare skin of our heart,
raised today like a flag
between two countries.
Oh, Canada burns like a cardinal against our snow.
and so we roar and stomp
and leave one paw-print
of red
in our snow
and then go to bed
and wait for the visible
light to change
to faith, some smoldering,
infrared glow.
TS Poetry’s February theme of Red called for a poem.
Hey Matthew, I saw this over on Tweetspeak yesterday. How cool that your poem got chosen for the feature. Yay!
I look forward to reading your Top 10 tomorrow!
I love the whimsy and community at Tweetspeak Poetry. And I’m looking forward to reading your piece next week, Kimberlee!
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Thanks Matt. Nostalgia is both sweet and cruel. Great moments yet impossible to retrace. You instantly took me back to the love of that city, the many great moments, places, and friends there. The memories you invoked brought a tear or two until l remembered the wind at Portage and Main in January. It was so cold on one visit that the brass boy on top of the Golden dome was crouching. i don’t understand how poets do it but as your friend ‘shrinkingthecamel’ describes it -Sweet.
Maybe sometime we should have coffee together at the corner of Portage and Main? Just think of the conversations we could have …
The flag caught me – mine!
I love this line: “Oh, Canada burns like a cardinal against our snow.”
Lots of interesting images, sounds and even tastes… I need me a cream soda!
Get thee to a brewery! Thanks for stopping by.
Sweet.
With just a touch of sour.
So much here that it will take me time to finish all the pictures in my mind’s eye. You inspire me.
Pictures are like that. Not sure we’re ever truly finished with them. They won’t let me alone, I know.
Matthew–I have only one word ‘wow!” Good job painting a picture. so beautiful.
Red is a rich paint, isn’t it? Lots of pigment in there. Thanks for sharing your encouragement, Jody.
Matthew, okay. Is this a first poem? Is that why the deep breath?
I am *so* delighted. This is filled with such terrific images, deep thought, great sound. Welcome… to poetry? :)
I haven’t written a poem in more than 15 years. So, yes, when you invited me to build one in two days, I took a deep breath after I finally got it out there. So thankful for your encouraging welcome, L.L.
Ya. Poetry feels like home.
And you did it up proud. Now I’m trying to figure out where you actually live. :>)
Where do I live? Well, you might need a secret agent infrared-converter scope to find it! Great to have you stop by, Diana.