My soul buried deep in the jaws of a blizzard

My heart yearns for a fiery hearth,

flannel-lined pants to lessen the chill,

insulated boots to keep the frostbite at bay,

and a furry hat to protect my chaffed pate

 

I keep trudging, or I’ll lose my faith

A clear sidewalk is my only salvation

A promise that Spring will be arriving

Sideway snow pummels my face

As I tangle with nature’s snowy fate.

---

Mark Tulin lives in California. He has authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Ariel Chart, Active Muse, among others. Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire and Twitter, Crow_writer.

The homeless guy I pass on my way to work

has a collection bowl between his legs,

looking up with teary eyes,

saying the good lord is watching over me

as the steam vent vapors rise in February

 

Something in those words mattered

as I bent down and gave him some change,

waiting at the bus stop in the snow,

I hear his voice, his lonesome plea:

please spare a dollar for a cup of coffee.

---

Mark Tulin lives in California. He has authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Ariel Chart, Active Muse, among others. Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire and Twitter, Crow_writer.

Like crows, we forage in the winter,

pick through cans and dumpsters

that freeze in December,

and weed through paper bags

in the sleety rain

Like lepers, we cover our faces,

hover around a trashcan of fire

to keep us warm

in the snowy vacant lot

of cold hands and icy hearts.

---

Mark Tulin lives in California. He has authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Ariel Chart, Active Muse, among others. Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire and Twitter, Crow_writer.

Selected by the editor as a featured submission, August 2021