Reflections in Nature

Into the Cold

A Poem

I find myself out in the cold as bare as the day I first entered this bitter world: skin pimpled by the chill of winter’s morning, my warm saturated breath a misty cloud in the icy northern air, my chest burning with every panicked and desperate breath.

The white dominates the landscape. The dark and jagged mountains that rose up yesterday are barely visible. Even the green of the mighty Douglas-firs are covered in thick blankets of snow and no longer stand proud, bending to the will of the north country’s fierce winters.

I can’t remember the feel of the lush carpet of grass beneath my feet, nor the bouquet of vibrant wildflowers that once flourished in this destitution of barrenness. Where have the warm breezes of summer gone that would carry me through my floundering and fright?

Off in the distance the white-tailed stag stands tall, nostrils flared, breathing in the familiar pale morning as he shakes off the savagery of nature from his shaggy brown robe. His majestic crown has seen seasons come and go, and he’s outrun the relentless pursuit of the northern gray wolf.

I long to be like the brave buck, proud and sure- footed, hardened by nature to face the harsh cold, yet the unsettled visions of my weary mind don’t melt so easily. There is no respite, for the menacing Amarok stalks me in the night, luring me to the very place where fear devours the hearts of men.

But I will not let fear decide for me today. This season shall pass and spring usher in the great thaw. The weight of my despair will dissolve, and even the delicate petals of the crocus will break through the vestiges of winter and radiate, if only for a moment, hope for a new tomorrow.

The Amarok Wolf is a mythical creature that, unlike other wolves, hunts alone as opposed to in a pack. It preys on humans who go out hunting alone during the night and punishes them for their foolishness.

Thank you for taking the time to read my poem. Without you, my voice would be a soft whisper just floating in the air.

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