a day in hakuba

the drive

you can barely see over it all.

blankets, untouched, perfectly fallen. 

softly shrouding the roofs of the houses. 

the mountains

brisk, cold, wind

i speed down.

the wind snarls wildly at me

and i bare my teeth back at it. 

i pick up speed–

i harness the cold underneath me, 

my body pummeling downhill

through the frosty air.

the hotel

i hang my clothes on the radiator,

half-folded. 

when i put my pajamas on after a warm shower

it feels like a hug.