Words Of a Feather

Winter marches into the fall every year

It is our beginning and our end

Christmas and New Years, the most exciting times of the year

The times are colder than the most immoral souls of the world

Yet they fill our hearts with warmth and joy

The snow is a friend of mine, the only reason I come outside during the winter

I feel the snow crunching under my boots as I leave a trail on the field

Sometimes, it is a light tint of snowy white

Or there could be so much snow, I could no longer see the grass

When I felt it with my bare body, a shiver would go down my spine

Yet this frost was delightful and was the only thing bringing joy to wintertime

The most versatile season, where one is capable of almost anything

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Skiing was not my favorite activity, but it was one of wonder

Our legs were separate, giving us more freedom and more opportunities to mess up

The skis made the most marks in the slopes

Trailing down into the ground as my legs split open

While I could never tell if I was supposed to have my ski poles up or down

The snow blinded me as it blew in my face thanks to my skis

I would keep slipping on the sleeted snow until still falling

My legs grew wobbly that day and I tasted the bitter, cold taste of defeat in the air

While my heart was warm after pounding so much in the name of failure and vengeance

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The snow tubers would jump into their tubes and slide down the mountains

The snow shining in their faces as their voices reached the tops of their lungs

Their bodies growing warmer after every round despite the area being cold enough to make ice cream

Some of us would go in pairs and race together

The real winner being the ubiquitous snow that was always at the bottom anyway

Or we’d go backwards and spin all the way down

Spinning faster than a dreidel or a yo-yo until we were scared enough to scream

Never looking back

We’d connect our tubes together and make a train that eventually tumbled over

Some kids would go flying higher than the sky

But we’d all laugh it off because the white, fluffy snow would break our fall

Cushioning us with its softness

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We could go snowboarding instead, an activity roaring with adventure

Slopes upon slopes waiting for snowboarders to challenge them

We’d lock into the snowboard, feeling as though we have no control

But it was the opposite: we were in control

At first, the snow seemed cold as we fell face-first into it

The bitter snow making me feel like I had frostbite

Our legs unable to move the board, crashing into everyone in our sight

I could feel my ankles clanking against the foot-sockets of the snowboard as I failed to steer it

Yet we’d walk back to the top and try again after seeing the snowflakes shower down upon us

These snowflakes encouraging us to keep riding

Eventually, we got the hang of it, and soon, we would conquer so much more of the snow

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Sledding was the most memorable of them all

Not in a ski or snowboard lodge, but in the comfort of my own backyard

Me, my sister, and our younger neighbors went outside

The snow had covered the hill leading to the street, as if trying to suffocate the grass

The snowflakes were dancing their way down to earth, making the snow bigger every second

The atmosphere was cold, cold enough to make someone pass out

Yet our inner children and the mere joy of having another glorious winter would not let us stay inside

In our newfound winter wonderland, we brought our inflated sleds to the hill

We took turns sitting in the sleds and riding them down the hill

Whee!

Two of us would be in a sled together, watching the winter flash before our eyes

We could come so close to falling in the streets, but luckily, we didn’t

And it was a more exciting than scary thought for us

Right now, we were in Nirvana traveling through a winter wonderland

The snow blazing by every time we sledded

And cushioning our fall whenever we fell

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One time, we made an igloo, or at least, that’s what we called it

The snow surrounded us and trapped us outside for a while

Fortunately, we enjoyed its company and welcomed the idea

Tons of snow covered the entire driveway

We could make a fortunate selling all of this

My sister and I worked for ours in the snow, digging as if at a desert camp

Pushing the snow aside to accomplish our dreams

We bore the cold breezes that pushed us towards defeat

The snow snuck into our boots and gloves at times, dropping our temperatures

We would not rest until creating a mini home for ourselves

We created a giant hole in the snow that either of us could fit in

Pretending we were in the ice age

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Best of all is the aftermath

Once we’re done playing in the snow and our bodies would succumb, we would come inside

We would remove all of our protective gear, almost as insulating and warm as our childish glee

Boots, gloves, hats, scarves, and jackets would no longer need to shield me

We were in the comfort of our own home, unable to run away from it now

Winter was an exciting season, but also a quiet one

We could curl up on the sofa and drink some hot cocoa

So hot it would make our blood boil every time we drank it

Cover ourselves with a blanket or two to keep warm

Watch a Christmas movie, talk with each other, or simply sit in silence

We would gaze out the window, seeing everything we accomplished

Imagining all we could achieve tomorrow and the day after that

But knowing it was never over for us

We could see the fluffy snow begging us to return, and we would

We glanced outside

Waiting for the next day and another snowy adventure