(a villanelle)
The temperature is down to ten below
Outside, a proper Indiana freeze.
I’m glad there’s no place that I have to go
On roads made treacherous by drifted snow
That dazzles and deceives. For when one sees
The temperature is down to ten below
It’s best to just say thanks, go with the flow
And take a break from planned activities.
I’m glad there’s no place that I have to go
When all the TV programs stop to show
The mercury descending by degrees.
“The temperature is down to ten below,”
They crow, “Here on the Toll Road, and you know
The wind chill’s worse, considering this breeze!”
I’m glad there’s no place that I have to go
Tonight, when all the world is set aglow
By moonlight dancing through the arching trees.
The temperature is down to ten below…
I’m glad there’s no place that I have to go.
Penguin Poems 