you can just tell

today is one of those days
where many a seasoned new englander
will be glad to point out that

it's going to snow
you can just tell
by looking at the sky
so gray that it devours the sunshine
with a persistent wind
that somehow fails to cut deeply
with the promise of fluffy snow
making up for any discomfort

but i wonder if
a hundred years ago
when people have weather forecasts
people still said the same thing all the time
but were mostly wrong

at any rate
it was cold enough that i had the
shiny new fieldturf field in the fens
all to myself
to hold one last personal soccer practice
before the 'grass' disappears
a huge expanse of green plastic
black shredded tire bits
all to myself
nearly silent except for the
ice-skating music at fenway

nothing but me
a ball
my bad aim
and the anticipation of snow