Today’s photo prompt “mittens” inspired me to get wrapped up in my snow clothes and go play in the snow. Kitty came out to guide me home.
New Poem
Slippers for Hands
I don’t own any mittens
I searched the drawers
and the cubbies in the closet
I have gloves
gore-tex gloves for skiing
knitted gloves lined with fleece
wine colored gloves with white fur cuffs
but no mittens
I shouldn’t be surprised
but I am
I always had mittens
growing up
off-white wool mittens
from Sweden
but you don’t need mittens
in New Orleans
since I never liked mittens-
I found them restricting-
why would I replace them
after evacuating
the closest thing I have
to mittens
are the slipper socks
I got for Christmas
when I first saw them
I pulled them over my hands
and tugged them up my arms
and said “or sleeves”
so I pull them on now
they are so soft inside
they reveal how dry my hands are
so I remove them and slather my skin
with moisturizer-wait-then apply again
I want the full softness experience
I pull my mittens up
over my elbows
like fuzzy opera gloves
the navy, white, and sky bumps
feel good on my face
I have no fingers
I have no thumbs
I can pick up my book
open it to my bookmark
but the pages turn in bunches
I cannot turn to the next page
after much trial and error
I bend down and stick my tongue
to the upper right corner
at first the saliva collects
tiny blue fuzz
but then
success
I read that page
and the next
with warm hands
wrapped in soft hugs
Experience Writing 