Frostbite of Love
 

She wore a yellow dress
His boots were shiny
The same boots he wears in the mine
Bent over barefoot he used his hands and
Creek sand to scrub the boots
Coal dust, black blood bleeding into the creek
It takes all the courage he has to walk her way
He coughs pulling his shirt collar away from his neck
He says
Dance
She smiles and extends her hand
She already knows he doesn’t talk much
And that’s ok
His hands are sweaty
But his strength is obvious
And his boots are shined
She’s calm or at least appears
He knows her strength
Just like his mama’s
She’s mountain
They both know the path
But for awhile
For awhile
They are young
He knows the black blood
Will always run in the creek
She knows the pain of child bearing is coming
The hard winters, the hoeing, the washing
But tonight it’s raining
The violin is playing “Dark Hollow”
Whippoorwills sing
And the lights of New York City
Are dimmed

mBarlew