The sharp cold

of the Chicago winter

is becoming less bitter

than it has been

in the last few weeks.

I would say spring is in the air,

but the weather here

is almost never as it seems.

So as I sit here and listen to you,

I enjoy the cup of hot chocolate

that warms my hands

and heats my body.

It's almost as if I'm in a small,

intimate jazz club

with you as the sole performer

and me

as the sole audience member.

The thought

makes me smile.