Thermometer

He sits outside,

in the frigid winter air,

watching the snow fall

on the front lawn,

adding to the whiteness of the unblemished blanket.

Dawn waits to exhale,

the quietness between stars and sunshine,

the snow muffles the sound of nature’s song.

The birds are asleep,

the squirrels snug in their dens

as he waits for the sun to peak out

of the slowly lightening skyline.

The outside wall thermometer

measures the world

in degrees of Fahrenheit,

as the maelstrom of his thoughts and worries

are silenced by the temptation of morning’s rise

and a steaming cup of cheap coffee.