these are things that grow in winter

cold weather birds
redouble efforts,
wrenching
invisible crumbs
from dirty ice; 

fake flowers bloom into 
expectant
second faces, 
spring anachronisms 
against mint houses 
melting into 
peeling, pistachio porches . . . 

Published in TOK: Writing the New Toronto, Book 5. Purchase the book to read the full piece.