ode

i want to spend my summers somewhere hot
where they play slow music at night
filtering out into the never-quite-dark
from twilit roadside cafes

but mostly,
somewhere where you and i
(and all those others who weren't
in the right place at the right time)
can't hide what we are
under the layers of scarves
and mufflers and complaints about the snow

o chicago!
one thing i can say for you
when at a loss for conversation
we can always get by
by complaining about the weather.


(this has formatting, but you can't tell. sorry)