White veils and fire
Annette Marie Hyder

I see down-filled counterpanes
spilling on the air
hear the whisper of wool
feel the kiss of cashmere
and the static crackle of polyester
in this storm.

The snow swirls sequins-and-glitter feet
that do not want to touch the ground
and Salome dances
with white veils tonight.

The spectacle makes me want
you  to cover me
wrap around me
all through the night
be my blanket
keep me warm and
hold me tight.

Just because Salome
is mentioned in this poem
there is no need to think
of John the Baptist
and his head served up
Martha Stewart style
to pay for others' concupiscence.

Let any thought of baptisms be limited to
that of skin against skin
and the baptism of fire
between we two.
 


In the news

We had a blizzard here over the weekend and most of us with plans that involved leaving the house quickly abandoned them. The snow fell 17 inches deep and  lay plush upon the city.

Agence France Press (AFP) reports on the storm that blew though Minnesota this weekend:

Blizzard rocks US Midwest, East Coast braces

CHICAGO — A fierce early winter storm pounded several Midwestern states and was moving east on Sunday, shutting busy airports and highways and snarling travel across about half the United States.

Blizzard warnings were issued for parts of Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota and Wisconsin as snow socked the states in tandem with wind gusts topping 45 miles (72 kilometers) per hour.

The storm — 10 days before the onset of winter — took its greatest toll in Minnesota, where as much as two feet (61 centimeters) of snow had fallen in some locations, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

The state's largest city Minneapolis was under a blanket of white 17 inches (43 cm) deep, the worst snowfall to hit the city in more than 19 years and the fifth-biggest on record.

As an indicator of the storm's severity, Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport — a transit hub with expertise in contending with foul weather — was shut down for the first time in years.

"Travel conditions will remain hazardous and potentially dangerous," the NWS said in a weather bulletin.

Snow also damaged the Metrodome, home of the Minnesota Vikings American football team, and led to the indefinite postponement of their game against the New York Giants.

The stadium's inflatable roof sagged like a collapsed souffle when the snow's weight damaged some of the covering's teflon panels. Read the entire article here.