i fear no god's/gods' judgment, but rather yours, only because you can be a bulldozer.

The autumn crisp is sinking into the air,
and all the spiders are moving in through the cracks
      in the foundation,
      in the walls,
      in the seams of this long-standing house.

Peppermint! Peppermint!
Peppermint oil for the ones we want to keep out,

and sympathetic indifference
to the small ones we don't find terrifying.

I am about to point at myself in the corner,

in the spot,

and it is likely that no amount of insulation in these walls

will keep your cold snap from leaking in.

But I will just have to invest in many sweaters,

because I must...

I must do it.

-Dana Winter