January

I tell myself

that I can survive January

that this bone-deep cold

is the hardest part

of the new year

and how hard

could the rest possibly be...

...And then I slide into February

like 10-year-old me

sliding onto a frozen lake

in oversized

hand-me-down skates

trying to find my balance

and hoping that it's safe

but in the end knowing

that I was always going to sink

~ VoodooRue (January 2020)