it is cold, & my fingers are
freezing. besides my textbooks, tea
is all i have to keep me company;

this is the winter of a girl, i’ve
decided; this is the time i will take
to fill myself until i’m not hollow

i have exhaled so many words
that sometimes i feel like i could fall
just like snow: fast & inevitable

i know there are people there to
catch me when i plunge, but lately i
wonder if that will be enough.

i am strong-willed, & i think i
am brave; but bravery is a curse &
i really would cherish good luck

there are not enough words to
convey what i feel; i can only define
this as a mix of frost & flame

but if i can make it through this
winter while fire & ice wage war within
me, i can make it through it all