“Gymnopédies No. 1”

That was the week

            it didn’t stop snowing.

That was the week

             five-fingered trees fell

             on houses & power lines

             broke like somebody waiting

for payday in a snowstorm.

That snow week, my daughter

& I trudged over the broken branches

             fidgeting through snow

             like hungry fingers through

             an empty pocket.

Over the termite-hollowed stump

as squat as a flat tire.

             Over the hollow

             the fox dives into

when we open the back door at night.

That was the week of snow

             & it glittered like every

             Christmas card we could

             remember while my daughter

poked around for the best place

to stand a snowman. One

with a pinecone nose.

             One with thumb-pressed

             eyes to see the whole

picture once things warm up.