The Cold Reality of Life

My breath lingers in the air,
As the cold wind musses my hair,
And leaves stinging kisses on my cheeks.
Autumn brings a slow death for the world.
It’s now I feel most alive.
Walking to and from class in the cold,
Gives me too much time to think,
About my life.

The truth is I’m lost.
The map is wrong, the compass is broken,
And my sense of direction was never very reliable.
I’d stop and ask for directions,
But there’s no run down gas station in this middle of nowhere.
Hours on end of walking,
And getting nowhere.
It all looks the same from here.
I could use a mirage now and then,
But even my imagination has abandoned me.
Desperation is my only company.
It’s not the best companion, but I hold onto it,
And keep it close,
Because it’s all I have.

The chill in the air heightens my senses,
And sharpens my understanding.
Autumn embraces me.
She runs her cold fingers through my hair and whispers secrets in my ear.
The world has never made more sense,
And I can clearly see the reality of my own life.
©Rachel Ruppel 2006

Back