Boston

i learned the truth in Boston.

that january day

we wandered the streets

until my feet were numb.

stopping only when we reached the edge.

gusting off the salty water

the wind was freezing.

cold and sharp,

like ice in the vodka

we'd drank the night before.

the liquor made you mean.

nasty.

snide remarks aimed at me.

a part of you i'd never seen.

but by morning you were quiet.

snow swirled.

my jaw clenched

to stop the shivering.

i pleaded silently with bleary eyes

for you to look at me.

but you just stared at the ocean

as we stood at the edge of the harbor.

all alone.

the two of us,

braving the bitter weather.

i realized then

you had changed with the seasons.

growing icy like the wind.

freezing out the warmth

that had been our summer.

i heard the truth that cold day.

in your silence,

the ocean's crash

and the howl of the wind.

i hate Boston in the winter.