Not Winter by Ion Corcos

Not Winter

This year the rain did not fall.
Cold air did not arrive. I did not

shut windows, pull down blinds.

I did not have to wear a jumper,
wrap a scarf over my mouth.

I do not have to reply to notices,
letters, neighbours. I do not need

an evil eye on my door, my steps,

the path. I do not have to count days,
argue. We are not there anymore.

by Ion Corcos.

Editor’s Note: Sometimes, the best way to describe a thing is to detail all of what it is not. This poem’s emotional impact slips in through the denials and enjambed lines.