December Song

Walking to work, I looked for the sparrows
that flit in and out of the bushes, twittering.
I looked for the woman who flashes me
a sweet smile as she hurries for the bus.
I looked for that little dog
that wags its tail and places its paws on the gate as I pass.
The sun cut through the mist
but though I looked up to greet it
I felt no warmth. My face
was a cold shadow spreading.
The dog was locked inside. The birds were dead.
The woman was down by the river, out of her head.
I walked to work and mounted the concrete steps
one by one.