15:21, January 1, 2018 (UTC)

Shot of Forty Creek fills in this dry body with enough warmth to make the trek from Oakville, harkening back, years now

This mourning for the past year isn’t with who is preferred. Preference is far off, dressed in blue, bright red mouth, skin of cedar, full of a warmth to survive through the winter as we’re all growing colder

Weaving between cars, at one point needing to backtrack in preference to not walking through a snow bank. Considered cutting through, but no need to take short cuts through the snow, miniscule relative to the grand scheme

Working hat to clip securely on over hoody

Bar on intersection to Huron is rowdy

Jay walk the empty street

This street is known. Darkness in the absence of street lights, far off the glow of intersection traffic lights, there’s an urge to go find that swing set, to go find that foliage off somewhere where a multitude of golf balls are left abandoned

Eventually pass by green crescent, head down, remember baby seat hanging from a tree. Years past. Didn’t notice the tree that had been bought full grown. Van beeps. Stop & look at a house familliar, where warmth was tapped from, but the shutters are down, people are gone, all that’s there now is new, old memories never even known nevermind forgotten. Head on around back, van starts up, so cross to not be walking against traffic

Now the way forward is known. Pieces have been done at a time

Feeling a pain, like a narrow line, coming from crotch. Pissed before departure: freezing? Chaffing? Unglove a hand to pocket, clutching to stop it from freezing off. So cold. Bring arm into coat, snaking past hem

Past Sanders, considered turning right, a path not often taken, but decide to go on straight to Highbury. Little slip while crossing intersection. Walk past someone. Bar at Highbury intersection is rowdy. Remember looking at dresses in Talize. Remember skittish red eyed man saying something crude in approval, & her observation “you can tell when someone’s had a few too many redbulls”. Years long past, a new one’s begun, mind is being pulled apart by time’s horses

Make a slight slip crossing offramp from Talize parking lot. Consider cutting through intersection, decide to stick to sidewalk. No shortcuts through time. Have to patiently wait for the future to come to bear, have to patiently wait for the present to fade into the past. It’s a slow fade

Cross on to right side of road at intersection & turn left onto Highbury. Dark plaza. Dark Fast Eddies. Buses passing by, all heading home to the terminal station. Traffic is high here. Beard is frozen together. Trying to turn headband to somewhere dryer. Wondering if it’s snowing, but it’s not, this is all from the persperation of breathing. Take off gloves, bundling hoody sleeves. Take off head band & hat, preferring to zip the hoody up tight, a small portal to look through, neck was stiff from being held too tightly by hat, keep an eye on the ground to guide unseen feet. Way up bridge requires a march. At one point right foot slips on a boulder of snow. Left foot gives an extra hard kick in order to give right foot enough time to straighten out into a landing. The way down the bridge is clear

Turn right onto Dundas, wanting to go by the sparse lots of east Dundas as opposed to walking until Trafalgar, which would be the shorter route. Walk by someone. West East is rowdy. Remember the church that’d have silly slogans that didn’t make sense; can’t remember them. STOP DROP AND ROLL DOESNT WORK IN HEAVEN. Didn’t read what it currently read. Jaywalk Dundas. Eventually coming towards Egerton, a few people are standing outside a bar, dressed in black, it’s quiet, bouncers? Trying to hear if they’re aware of presence. Pick up pace

Leftwards onto Egerton. Remembering vending around here. A couple houses are lit up & a little rowdy. Cross intersection at York. Cross without light, making a small jump over snow between road & walkway. Wondering if external observation would assume drunk. Hadn’t assumed people walking by were drunk. Coming on to train, sounds of engines, slight fear that the signals will go off, & then death will freeze over. Start at a slight jog. There’s the park area, the setting used by the mind’s eye for the park bench scene in k-means. Remember passing by friendly cats around this street. Reverie of past years passing through the mall parking lot when destination was the other way around, off west. Coming around this way on a hot summer day. Some people come out of a house, listen carefully that their footsteps aren’t following. A couple is walking their child across the street. Eventually come on to that abomination of a five way that’s nearly a six way. Wait for light, but cross without it eventually. Hitting button in the middle of the roads

Turning rightwards down Trafalgar. All this time there’s been a stiffness building in inner thighs. Right ball feels like it’s pressing up too much, but it’s a shadow of perception. Remembering long midnight walks from past New Year’s Eves. The stillness of the air making it not feel so cold. Something about daylight makes winter colder

Turning right onto Rectory there’s yelling from a house across street. A couple people run out of the house, heading towards a car. Someone yelling “Princess!” Keep walking. Here sounds coming from behind, stop, turn, there’s a black & white dog, jumping up, sniffing into sleeve, “She’s alright, just a puppy,” into yelling “Princess! Get back here! Go inside!” Wave & turn on back towards the goal. Jaywalk Rectory

Upon getting inside, inner thighs break out into terrible itchs. Pants off, scratching, skin red, into a lukewarm bath. As the water goes down the drain, a coldness enters greater than was ever felt outside