Under the tall street light
I’m on my way back home alone
Saying the lonely words, I don’t want to go…

My footsteps get slower
I go around the neighborhood a few times and in the end
I stand in front of my house and fish for my keys

I’m a loner in my noise-less room
Feeling nervous, I turn up the TV volume
But why are those people laughing?
I hope a dark rain falls

I feel someone’s body heat on the empty playground bench
Why is this warmth making me feel even colder?
I bury my face in my scrunched up shoulders
My hands that I hid in my pockets get cold

The wind is colder than yesterday so I snuggle deeper into my blankets
But the wind digs in and makes me cold in every nook and cranny
Outside the window, there are no signs of life, as if the lights have all turned off
As I look out, I let out a meaningless breath
My room is colder than the middle of winter, the air is cold even to the tips of my fingers
If spring never comes, would that be better?

Will the icicles in my room melt when a sunny, good day comes?