Worn Out by Winter?

During the experience represented below I had some moments of loneliness and despair. But they were quickly replaced with the humor of it all, along with the recognition that I am strong and able and get the job done.

Worn Out by Winter?

I woke up this morning with things on my mind.
I wanted to clean out my wood stove
so I could use the ashes to spread
on the skating rink that is my driveway.
And, of course, the stove actually needed cleaning.
With the temperature a balmy 5 degrees
I thought this would be a good chance to
accomplish this feat.
However, when I opened the stove
I noticed the ashes still had some life to them.
Not wanting to carry the ash pan
with lively ashes through my house,
I realized I should shovel out the back door
and up around my deck.
This actually needed to be done anyway,
just in case I run out of wood (good chance of that)
and have to rely on my gas stove later on.
Can’t get gas delivered if the tank is inaccessible.
I hadn’t done this before the rain storm came
that followed the last snow storm due
a sore shoulder that let me know
enough was enough after
cleaning off the front walkway
 and the deck (4 times).
This meant that shoveling this morning
included breaking through an ornery crust
to get to the crystalline snow below,
then lifting it up above the mountainous
banks that now surround.
The ashes, cooled by their new resting place,
 now pave a route to my car,
creating both safety and the messiness
of tracking said ashes into my house.
As I finished I wearily wondered,
“Am I,
 a lover of snow,
 worn out by winter?”
This was quickly followed by,
“Nah, I think I’ll go skiing!”

Sarah Carlson

January 26, 2019