A Bit Brisk

The temperature was 20 degrees and the wind chill 10 when I left the house, later than usual since it is Wednesday, my day off, at 7:30 AM. But I was well layered, face covered with a balaclava etc. Really no problem with the cold. It is a clear and sunny day. After not riding yesterday and given the cold I must admit it took me a little while to work myself up to going out and I decided not to ride in the dark, hence my later start. But once out it was a most enjoyable ride. My legs were a bit leaden, again I'm not sure if that is because I didn't ride or because it just takes a lot more energy to get the legs moving in these temperatures, or because there was a 10 - 15 mile an hour wind, but I was struggling for the first 5 or 6 miles. After that, I could have ridden all day, but my water was frozen despite putting the Camelback under my jacket and I do have other things to do today, so I settled for 23.1 miles.
And I finished a new poem:

War Metaphors

What are the competent metaphors
for studied warfare that persists and
deepens the hold of false notes
not music nor the pain of a toothache –
careful not to trivialize –
the words go to ground in bunkers
and car bombs flinging pieces of
some upstate boy’s life – not deserts
not mere betrayal not even martyrdom
The only metaphor for arrogance
is arrogance the only word for
tyranny is muffled in the explosion