It was the biggest snow storm of the year they said
she watched it on the television as she sat out on her
sunny porch
wondered exactly what the cold would feel like
was bored of permanent summer
"Every snowflake is unique."
She
learned that in second grade
used her scissors to cut one out of paper
saw the snow on the mountains to
the east
but her parents never drove her there
not even for the day
She bought
herself a pair of boots
good for 40 below
and a ski hat that she wore like a fashion statement
people
called it cute
she called it wishful thinking
The next
summer a friend asked her to go down under
it was winter there and she was ready
had a jacket full of
down
stood inside her friends walk in freezer to prepare
When
she got off the plane it was July
they went to the resort
her friend was going to snowboard
left
her at the bottom of the mountain
she stood in the snow drift alone
for the first time ever in the cold
and
felt little
the flakes landing on her one by one
She tried,
but she just couldn't find the snow flake that matched her
