Time's tight for this lady
the twelve days til Christmas
upon us

running interference with
my job searches, resumes
readings, classes,
cross-town appointments

baking, buying, notetaking, homemaking
meshed in manufactured mileage from moments
so I bundled up real early today
trudged and picked my way along
the tracks from snowtrucks and tractors
sidewalks still unploughed
from yesterday's huge storm
-our annual first
slows the city to a near-stop
roadways skimmed into narrow strips

cars slip-sliding
passengers out pushing, shouting instructions
to frustrated drivers, skidding their tires-

I forged a path for myself to the bus stop for
Bayshore Shopping Centre
stood braced away from wind's blast
my thinly-gloved hands shaking

while unfolding to the bite of air
the ladies' lingerie portion
of the Bay Store's newest sales flyer
with coloured pictures
back and front

a self-dedicated respite
indulgent in peace and luxury-dreaming
on a frozen patch of sun land

I checked out at long-last the deals
on pretty bras, stockings, undies
the latest and laciest finery
last but not least of things
on the practical woman's to-do lists
being feminine squeezed in somewhere too!
solace from snowtraps to
surmising
bare-smooth-shiny shouldered
gracious-hipped women's wares
complimenting curves
ins and outs
adorned & done up in satins and silks
tempting with what would I choose

if and when I reached the store?

the minutes on tap stretched to half an hour
I danced my feet, marched about a bit

buses running way behind, breaking down
or roaring by, empty and exlusive - to the garage
'out of order'??
as potential passengers froze

I passed the time passing my eyes
over little squares of designed dainties
daisy-fresh delicate

Then, looked up to find
...a snow-contract truck driver
...a man shovelling at the Quickie convenience Mart
seeming oblivious to a mini-snow avalanche
from the roof over his head
...several older ladies stopping struggles with shopping dollies
all their faces shifted from strained to smiling
at me!

my wide-open catalogue shopping spree
an incongruous eccentricity?
or a public winter pantomime?

I shivered and felt the burn of red-cheeks now
as I saw peoples' eyes surveying
the backs of my papers
the skimpy camisoles, thongs, ladies' jockeys
in snow and sun bright
had ignited stares
and a 'Victoria's Secrets'
moment's melt-down
at the bus stop

12/10/2000