to the coming winter and the nose that beckons to bleed

i can feel it in the back of my throat on my skin in my bones i can’t see it yet but i know it is there the air is sharp and cold outside the air is artificial and warm inside cutting and drying everything that comes near it i can see it running down my nose and onto my skin i can see the flakes outside running down from the sky and onto the ground it is here the dark red covers the tissue as the snow covers the grass it comes comes quickly lasting a long time longer than it should but when it is over it is over leaving the air leaving the land bare clean i can feel it in the back of my throat on my skin in my bones i can’t see it yet but i know it is there and i know when it is gone

— Bethany Jessee (Benni) ’25, Communications & Drama