They were talking ill of Old Man Winter 

Of how he was ugly and cold and made people shiver 

There was snow on the ground 

Screeching branches on the roof of that house 

The heat was sweltering  

It was dark 

The only light was artificial, that of screens

I had to get out or I was going to scream 

So I bundled up, grabbed my pup

In early February we ventured out 

Everyone said we were crazy 

The wind on the shore across our cheeks tore

Crystals floated along the waves 

Along the pilings, the seagulls and pelicans convened 

It’s where all the creatures satisfy what they crave

Little dots of stark white and heads that were yellow 

What a delight 

The sun was spectacular 

It was better than I’d dreamed 

I stopped to stare at some ice on the sewer pipe

It was glamorous 

The beach in winter can’t fit into news anchors’ vernacular 

I zoomed in and in my head apologized to Old Man Winter

The signs said to keep off 

But what a loft!

To dangle over the Chesapeake 

I just had to get a peek 

When halfway out I slipped on that dazzling ice 

But oh! A thick chunk of it was floating below 

It caught me!

I was on the water!

Then I heard a great blow 

A humpback whale!

He gently splashed his tail

My Golden retriever then jumped in

Everything glistened

It was ironically warm on that frigid day

Thanks to the whale’s tail, we caught our wave

Back to shore 

And I heard Old Man Winter whisper

“Why does no one love me anymore?”