a snow-laden heat emanated
from the radiator, which made
all kinds of clanking noises
throughout the night in the
little apartment where I learned
to sleep naked, and not only
because I was in love, but for
the sheer freedom of doing so.
It was a blip of my time in the
Midwest, but, as they say, Ann
Arbor is its jewel and, as I recall,
it was but a winter and perhaps
some of a spring. And yet when I
got home at night, even if I’d have
had to to drive through snow or
sleet from school, some sixty miles
to the south, I knew where my
night was, what a joy it was to
have that little place with my
new love, sitting on the two-
person couch watching Star
Trek: The Next Generation,
drinking cheap red wine and
awaiting a lovely dinner almost
every night. The furthest north
I’ve ever lived. And it was as
cold as its reputation, temperature-
wise. But my heart was on fire,
and I was happy, my present
and my future feeling about as
had to to drive through snow or
sleet from school, some sixty miles
to the south, I knew where my
night was, what a joy it was to
have that little place with my
new love, sitting on the two-
person couch watching Star
Trek: The Next Generation,
drinking cheap red wine and
awaiting a lovely dinner almost
every night. The furthest north
I’ve ever lived. And it was as
cold as its reputation, temperature-
wise. But my heart was on fire,
and I was happy, my present
and my future feeling about as
electric as they ever had.
