they said when they found her she was frozen my god-mother who was a police officer told me they had to peel the ice laden sheets from my mothers face i knocked on the the door the night before when it swung open behind the iron guard gate i stared at champagne such an odd name for a pit bull having hated me for years he lunged at the gate why didn't i just leave? why? i ran to the back of the house and broke the window why was i panicking? broke the window to draw him to the back ran back to the front door and tried... mamma i tried.... to open the gate champagne such an odd name hit the gate howling and growling i wish i would have paid attention to how he looked at me i left defeated and asked the neighbor if he had seen my mom "not today" i found out the next day that my mom was frozen stiff on that bed all alone while i knocked outside