Leaves glide across the ice, dance by,
as you looked me in the eye and smiled.

Howling wind, arctic chill roll down the ridge.
Snowing after midnight, purple-silver twilight.

Twenty below, dropping slow but sure enough
this night and us ain’t for the faint of heart.

Stick it out with me.
It’s cold now but we’ll warm up quick, you’ll see.
You with your rosy cheeks are all I need tonight.

Can’t feel my toes, numb my fingers.
But our love is the kind that lingers.

On & on & on & on & ever after.
Rung by rung by rung by rung up Jacob’s ladder.

Higher, higher now – but don’t look down.
Hold my hand, look up: the stars are out.

Stick it out with me.
It’s cold now but we’ll warm up quick, you’ll see.
You with your rosy cheeks are all I need tonight.

Keeping each other company
by the fire, passing winter time and a bottle
so late it’s early, then it dawned on me:
our love’s a little like whiskey,
it’ll never freeze.

Two people sticking it out.
That’s an art.
That’s an effort.
The ‘ol self/\nonself.

(1/29/2019: Kingfield, Minneapolis, Minnesota)