The Girls of Winter
Jim Harrison


Out the window of the bar I'm watching
a circle of girls stretching and yawning 
across the street. It's late January and 74
degrees. They love the heat because
they are a moist heat. Heat loves 
heat and today is a tease for what comes 
with spring around here when the glorious birds
funnel back up from Mexico. The girls
don't care about birds because they are birds.
I recall in high school a half dozen
cheerleaders resting on a wrestling mat
in short shorts in gym, me beside them
with a silly groin ache. What were they?
Living, lovely, warm meat as we all are
reaching out of our bodies for someone else.