THE DAYS OF WINE AND ROSES ON ICE 1963 CHICAGO
I NEVER REALLY THOUGHT OF IT BEFORE HOW TIME PASSES I MEAN SO MANY MEMORIES FADE INTO A DISTANCE REALITY THAT LOOKING FORWARD CAN BE HORRIFYING WHY WE BECOME SO COMFORTABLE IN RIGHT NOW EVEN IF RIGHT NOW IS QUITE BLEAK THAT'S WHEN WE CATER TO MEMORIES I KNOW I DO I HAVE COMPLETE PHOTOGRAPHIC MEMORIES OF ME PLAYING ON THE ICE IN CHICAGO SO MUCH FUN LOSING MY GLOVES JUST PLAYING AWAY NOT EVEN NOTICING HOW COLD MY LITTLE HANDS ARE ONCE I NOTICED HOW COLD THEY BEGAN TO THROB I'M SO SCARED WILL THEY FALL OFF OR WILL I GET FROSTBITE HOW COULD SO MUCH FUN THE FIRST WINTER ICE SO BEAUTIFUL GLISTENING SO WELCOMING THE SUN SHINING OVER THE ICE AND NY HANDS ARE FROZEN IT IS THEN I NOTICE MY EAR MUFFS EXPOSED MY EAR IT'S SO COLD I QUICKLY NOTICE MY FEET ARE WET MY SOCKS ARE WET ME FEET ARE FREEZING WINTER WONDERLAND JACK FROST NIPPING AT MY COLD NOSE I'M FREEZING WE ALL RUN HOME I RUN FAST MY TEETH CHATTERING I RUN STRAIGHT HOME WHEN I ARRIVE MY MOM STANDING THERE WITH OPEN ARMS COCOA DIDN'T I TELL YOU TO KEEP YOUR GLOVES ON AND STAY OFF THAT ICE YES MA'AM I RESPONDED SHE QUICKLY REMOVES ALL MY LAYERS TAKING MY COLD HAND PLACES THEM ON HER BELLY UNDER HER SHIRT HOLDING THEM THERE HEAT FROM HER BODY WARMING MY HANDS INSTANTLY SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE COAL BURNING STOVE OH HOW SHE LOVES ME SHE KEEPS MY HANDS THERE UNTIL THE THROBBING ENDS ONE WOULD BELIEVE THIS HAPPENED ONLY ONCE IN A LIFETIME BUT NO BEING BORN AT HOME IN THE MIDDLE OF A CHICAGO EXTREMELY FREEZING STORMS EXCEPTIONALLY COLD SNAP BLIZZARDS BEGINING OF 1963 ON THE WESTSIDE OF CHICAGO ACROSS FROM THE CHICAGO PUBLIC LIBRARY MY DAD SAID ICE COVERED EVERYTHING INCLUDING THE WINDOWS DOORS STREETS WERE COVERED IN ICE I CAN'T EVEN IMAGE 19 DAYS OF BELOW ZERO WEATHER IN CHICAGO NOTHING MOVED NO AMBULANCE COULD GET TO MOMMY MY MOM GIVING BIRTH TO ME MY DAD PASSING OUT HOT CUPS OF COCOA MY POPS MY BIGMOMMA MY AUNT COUSINS UNCLES ALL PRESENT WHEN I CAME INTO THE WORLD MY GRANDMOTHER DELIVERED ME MY BIGMOMMA MY NONNA DELIVERED ME INTO THE WORLD ON SAM COOKES BIRTHDAY MY SKIN ALL BROWN COCOA BROWN THE COLOR OF A CUP OF HOT CHOCOLATE MY DAD CALLED ME COCOA WHILE SINGING I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU I LOVE YOU FOR SENTIMENTAL REASONS YOU SEE IT'S ACTUALLY HOW I GOT MY NAME COCOA EVERY YEAR MY BIRTHDAY WAS CELEBRATED ON ICE A WINTER BABY SO EVERY YEAR WE REPEATED THIS RITUAL MY MOM EVERY YEAR WHEN MY BIRTHDAY ROLLS AROUND SHE ALWAYS HAD A CUP OF HOT COCOA SWEET WARM MEMORIES I FORGOT HOW COLD MY HANDS WERE THE MEMORY OF WARMTH
COCOA I LOVE YOU
WRITTEN BY YOLANDA JOY NICHOLSEN
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