Debra Marquart
Debra Marquart
Lake Effect
snow for days let it
the weather woman
is always wrong, we rise
these cold mornings
made warm by your long back
east of lake michigan
unexpected, always coming
great crystal flakes
float outside your windows
pines trees layered
heavy with snow, we rise
to meteorologist apologies,
this upland peninsula
so shaped like a paw
or an oven mitt
people will raise their hands,
a kind of swearing to,
and point to the spot where
they’re from, this place
in the heart of the palm
where I found you
a bit left of center,
lake effect, people say
around here, to things
that happen, things
they can’t hope
to predict or explain.