Car Coat

By John I. Blair

Brrrr! There’s a bitter chill this morning

(Cold for northern Texas anyway);

Birds are huddled deep in bushes;

And any mammal worth its fur

Is snuggled cozy in a nest.

But I’m the breadwinner in this house,

The man who buys the kibble,

The sunflower seeds, the millet.

I have to go to work no matter what.

My shelter on these days of thermal challenge?

An old blue car coat that I’ve owned for years.

Unlike some modern winter wear,

Made in steamy tropic lands

That never see a speck of ice,

This coat’s Korean-made;

And Koreans know of cold.

The shell’s a tightly woven tear proof fabric;

Under that’s a goodly inch of quilting

Lined by fleecy flannel.

To complete this weather fortress:

Knit cuffs inside the sleeves,

A stand-up collar to protect my neck,

A zipper topped by snaps to stop the drafts,

And a hidden lace-up hood.

In this car coat I’ve withstood

Arctic blasts and blizzard snow,

Sneered at gales and freezing rain.

I view it as a trusted friend

And would only ask for one thing more . . .

I wish it covered up my rear!

©2004 John I. Blair