A cold evening in Denver (Dec 17, 1996).

We recently had a bitter cold streak here in Colorado. A week with the temperatures staying below freezing and a few days with the mercury never topping zero. An evening trip into Denver brought scenes of car crashes and the desperately cold homeless.


Winter in America

BANG!

A crash occurs.
Skid marks trail across a sheet of ice and snow.
This wreck is no one's fault, though the police will prove otherwise.
Some scars.  Maybe inhumane damage to an insurance policy.
  A big dinner for some body man.
Frost forms on his beard and snow sticks to her sweater.
He stands over a steam grate.  She huddles in the cruiser's headlights.
A brief moment nearly frozen in time.

moan...

A crash occurs.
Needle marks blurred under a sheet of ice and snow.
This wreck is no one's fault, though the police will prove otherwise.
Some scars, maybe inhumane damage to a once innocent soul.
  No big dinner for somebody.
Frost forms on his beard and snow sticks to her sweater.
He stands over a steam grate.  She huddles in the cruiser's headlights.
A brief moment.  Nearly frozen in time.


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Alan Fleming alanf@dorje.com