A Winter Joke Poem by Joseph D E Phillips

The chill of the wind pricked my heart as it rose.
My icy hands longed for a fire.
I stood there and shivered.
The trees… how they quivered!
And leaves trickled, red as desire.

I dug out the coat and those old winter gloves
And looked for a friend to rely on,
But folks in this city
Are stripped of their pity
So I've fewer shoulders to cry on.

I dropped to my knees as I chattered my teeth
And prayed for a little compassion,
'Please grant me a friend
Who will fend off the wind
And steer me away from depression! '

I walk through the snow knowing not where to go
And pray that I'll soon find an answer,
But strangers steer clear
Of a man full of beer
As if friendship were some sort of cancer!