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A Week of Subzero
by
Jeff Burt


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It took jumping on the tire iron
to loosen the first lug out in the subzero cold
on a gravel road outside Papillion, Nebraska,
then a few bangs and swear words
to loosen the rest. The dealer said
the tire just wore out trying to keep air in
when it was so cold outside,
must have leaked right through the seams
since the valve was good and the rim tight.

He said he'd seen a few people that way
that day, flat, soul-less, inanimate.
He had means to start a car in the cold--
chargers, oil pan warmers, alcohol sprays
that unstuck a frozen butterfly--
but wished he had a joke or hopeful point
of conversation to turn those people over.
Even coffee doesn't do, he said.
It's hot chocolate wins them over,

fat, milk, a sweet, thick taste, like insulation
against the hardness of life. Reminds them
of when their mothers beat back the cold.


© by Jeff Burt.
Used with the author's permission.

 


Jeff Burt lives on the Central Coast of California with his wife. He has worked in electronics and mental health administration. Jeff claims to have learned about never-ending energy from his grandchildren, and about perpetual motion opportunities from his Labrador; he is grateful for both. You can see more of Jeff's work here, and learn more about him at http://www.jeff-burt.com.

 


Post New Comment:
Adriana:
I love the craft of this poem, how, even though it doesn't rhyme, it reads as if it does; every line seems perfect to move forward the charming message.
Posted 01/15/2022 12:10 PM
Anastasia:
Hot chocolate is wonderfully cheering!
Posted 01/12/2022 12:38 PM
Lori Levy:
Great metaphor, and I agree with the dealer--something sweet always helps.
Posted 01/12/2022 11:20 AM
KinVT:
Very clever. Definitely creates images that will stay with the reader for awhile. Perfect timing..high temperature yesterday was 1 degree!
Posted 01/12/2022 09:16 AM
Rob:
Love the movement of the poem and the use of the flat tire as a metaphor to grow the rest of the poem out of!
Posted 01/12/2022 05:49 AM


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