Love Poem: Winter Wind, My Hands Are Frozen
March Archer Avatar
Written by: March Archer

Winter Wind, My Hands Are Frozen

we go ice skating 
we go sledding, we go fight in the snow 
 your cheeks are red because it’s cold, 
my cheeks are red because you’ve never touched me for this long 
your fingers are long, your arms are long, you throw the snowballs hard 
and you spin and spin on ice like a ballerina 

then i slip and you smile at me and extend your hand for me to grab 
except, i don’t slip, and you don’t smile  
and i could never hold you 
even for a second 
i wished to be a young man but i was just a boy 
and you were older, and lovelier 
and handsome 
and i was lonely, and confused and wanting more  

it was innocent, and then it wasn’t 
it was cold, refreshing 
a snowball to the face 
then it was heat, and lighting 
an electrical shock down my back 
when i wake up next to you 
fully clothed, and i can’t deal with the longing 
so i just lie

i traced your sharp cheekbones 
and your long fingers 
in pictures, my lips on your cheek
you didn’t mind 
when a young boy who wears skirts and grows his hair out kisses you 
you still have snowball fights, and go ice skating, and drink hot tea 
go to parties and compliment his clothes
and laugh at his jokes 
and lead him on like your life depends on it 

you kept trying to solve that 
rubik’s cube 
but you never tried to solve me
a boy, a riddle, desperate to be found out 
desperate to face the winter wind
my hands are frozen, i can’t feel my toes, my skin is turning pearly white 
i would’ve given you all i had 
each secret picked apart like you’re dissecting it 
us, blown away by winter wind 
us, melting away to frozen time