walk-in freezer

i would take off my meat gloves
& pretend i was becoming 
an ice sculpture. the breath of the 
walk-in freezer at the dining hall was
bright & wild blue. on the shelves 
were cases of drink mixes & broccoli 
& broth. sometimes i would place my
warm hand on the surface. leave a print there
like the walls of cueva de las manos.
the ancient impulse to leave a little mark
in the belly of a creature bigger than you. 
i could never stay too long. counted each second
until i had to return to a cutting board.
chicken breasts that needed to be sliced
& sandwiches that needed 
to be painted with mayo. a drop of panic
at the thought that maybe i was locked inside.
i would rush to the door just to make sure
that it still opened from the inside
just like it always did. the contrast between
the hot & chaotic prep room hallway 
& the freezer always gave me a pause.
i considered receding again. just one more minute
before i emerged with a hunk of flesh
or a bag of ciabatta rolls. 
the portal shut behind me
like a spaceship door.