Melting winter

they danced cold in the air guided by the wind 

landing as melted snowflakes upon my head 

we laughed, 

you turned your head up to the sky, opened your mouth wide to catch these 

fallen ice skaters 

my eyes fixated, my mouth frozen to a smile 

I was so happy I felt warm. 

Our snow matter mittens didn’t leave one another that white night 

as we ran as fast as our bundled bodies could home, 

your home 

which you made feel like a home to me even in times it didn’t to you. 

Unzipping my coat, 

removing my shoes, 

taking my gloves off

I didn’t feel violated, I felt protected 

because you did so with the hands of a lover and the eyes of a brother. 

My socks cried along the floor boards behind me 

longing to go back beyond the windows 

that illuminated your rosy hair and skin of constellations and caught my eyes starring, 

we   then began to dance along these soft wood floor boards 

guided by any glimmer of light the window gifted to us. 

Your fingers traced the curves of my smile, 

your eyes holding onto mine 

we kissed and 

my heart melted 

sending ripples to echo in the forming puddle below my lungs that began falling from my eyes, 

I learned then what happy tears are made of