stay inside

Stay inside stay inside,
Tops of my thighs cold as ice,
Nose hairs froze,
As I stepped outside,
The crunch of frozen snow,
Under my boots,
I’m sure the Inuit have a word for that,
Cheeks starting to burn,
About to hack up a lung,
Northern Ontario weather,
So far to the south,
Reminds me of playing hockey on the beaver pond,
Minus the fun minus the friends,
Minus the exhilaration,
All the cold and none of the good,
But at least the wind isn’t bad,
And I’m almost to the bus stop,
Even though the bus will run late,
And I’ll miss my connection,
And I’ll have to walk an extra half-mile,
But my thoughts keep me warm,
The promise of coffee on the other end,
But honestly and truthfully,
Just wish I could have stayed in bed.