The Louisiana Non-Winter Of 2005

Shreveport never has a harsh winter.
Denizens of the frozen northern states
laugh at our normal winter weather.
But, this winter something is amiss.

Here it is only the last week of January,
and robins are already hopping about
upon a green lawn. Yes, the lawn that
should be a nice yucky winter-brown
has turned an early springtime-green,
and it’s growing taller … in winter.
It’ll need mowing soon … mowing!

The daytime high temperature will be
in the 70s again today … yes, again!
Why, there has been only a handful
of days all winter cold enough to
warrant a fire in the den fireplace,
and my wife so loves a fire.
And the mosquitoes!
The mosquitoes are getting as thick
as mosquitoes in Louisiana in summer.
Come on, Winter. Get cold enough
to kill some of these mosquitoes!
Even the flowers have lost their fear
of you and have begun to blossom.

Winter, have you forgotten how to act?
Sure, last weekend you beat your chest
and with your hoary breath dropped
a blizzard on the northeastern states,
but what have you done to us lately?
Is our non-winter merely an anomaly?
Are you suffering from global warming?
Or are you just a wimp, a pansy of a winter?

Come on, Winter. You’ve still got time to
redeem yourself. Give us your best shot.
Try to act like … like Winter … for a change.
I double dog dare you.


Please check out my ten books:
http://www.amazon.com/Jr.-Harry-E.-Gilleland/e/B004SVLY02/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0