The Coat
It happened without any warning
there she was
on her way to work
crossing the intersection
having just pulled the hood
of the coat
over her head
when the car hit her
and she was spun mercilessly
into the harsh January air
her arms flapping wildly
like a frightened bird
"my birthday" she mouthed
through the snow splattering her lips
as she began what seemed
an almost graceful descent
spiralling downward
the coat
wrapped protectively around her
feathering her in slow motion
until it delivered her onto the busy street.
There she lay
cushioned within the circle of strangers
looking up at a changing sky
the stars already on furlough
knowing she would see another year
the coat
matted with city grit
a life raft around her.
Throughout the long hours of healing
the coat
hung faithfully in a corner
while she waited in the kitchen
face pressed against the windowpane
like a moth clinging to glass.
When her mended arms
finally set her body free
and she was ready to unpack winter
she would sit on the floor
cradling the coat
the way she would her dolls
sewing on the missing buttons
closing the hem with threads of trust.
She would walk the long blocks
the coat draped over her arms
holding it as if it were a bridal gown
until she found a homeless soul
sleeping on the icy grates
a woman so child-like
locked in her dreams
who when she felt the cocoon of warmth
spread over her
stretched out a raw and calloused hand
letting her box of matches
fall into the mounds of snow
a smile starting to climb
up her frozen cheeks
knowing as she dreamed
she would see another day.
