snow devils

she lived in the mountains of Colorado for the winter
and her skis did a lot of talking.
between runs there was coffee
and a warm fire,
and any conversation quickly heated up
from the front side.
to me she gave a huge sigh and said
"of course you may join me"
but i was under temporary arrest after taking a shower
with a soapy stranger in the hallway room
where the overhead fan when turned on made a noise.
you know the place.
once i escaped, i noticed that she had a large Picasso hanging over
her fireplace which was crooked.
the artist would have enjoyed the irony.
like people, paintings are better seen when they
are out of place.
and i learned to ski later in life, probably i'd say
i was 40 and afraid on the bunny slopes.
elementary aged girls gave me suggestions and
then turned down slope with a grace that seemed
subversive to my envious eyes.
coffee or not, what makes a great day is one
that you fashion yourself.
i often thought about moving to Colorado in the spring
of 1926 when i told everyone to move west.
"move west," i often said.
there are skeletons in the mountains there,
and snow devils,
and it is such fun to touch the sky.