Nancy Kay Peterson

Tipton Poetry Journal – Winter 2021

Plains Pioneer

Nancy Kay Peterson

I swim against the blizzard, one arm sweeping drifts down to mid-thigh height, one hand grasping the icy rope that leads from cabin to barn. It has snowed for days.

This trip had to be made. A blast of super cold wind takes my breath away. I stumble, lose my balance, my hold on the rope.

I grope frantically, eyes tearing, Nothing. I know I should not crawl blindly, but I am floundering. My fingers numbing, will no longer recognize the feel of a lifeline.

Anything is better than not trying to survive. I stagger for hours, for days, for years. I think I must be close. Warmed by my efforts, I pause to enjoy the balmy breeze, perfect for sleeping.

The snow is no longer falling. Everything is angelic white. You don’t freeze to death quickly. The sun rises in the east A bloody ball.

Nancy Kay Peterson’s poetry has appeared in print and online in numerous publications, including most recently Lost Lake Folk Opera, One Sentence Poems, Spank the Carp and Three Line Poetry. From 2004-2009, she was co-publisher and co-editor of Main Channel Voices: A Dam Fine Literary Magazine. Her chapbook, Belated Remembrance, was published by Finishing Line Press in 2010. A second chapbook, Selling the Family, is due out soon. She lives in Winona, Minnesota.