today’s special:
mid-winter gazpacho
start with 4-5 feet dry as sugar
powder snow, dusted, dumped and poured
over the city of Juneau
at varying rates for 5 days
maintain powder snow at subzero
temperatures for 3 days,
drift with gale force winds for 2 days,
and top with a 40 degree temperature increase
and heavy rain
allow resulting slush to race
down steep streets until
ice blocks all storm drains
and small lakes and rivers take
shape throughout
don high rubber boots,
step just under knee deep
into the slushy gumbo street
and stomp until storm drains begin
to drain away our hopes for a winter
without a thaw
move quickly across streets
to sidewalks remade as foot paths
atop snow berms and ice staircases
all around the groan of snowblowers
choking on slush
and the scrape and crash of
rooftops sloughing heavy loads
over icedamned eaves
if you still can,
enjoy what’s left
of winter.
Jonas Lamb 