Ice is all there was for miles
In every direction
Far enough, though, through squinted eyes,
one could see a tower there
A small city out that way
tufts of smoke hanging over
Buildings and things
Maybe sending signals
Or just doing what they do
Day by day, unaware of her.
Men would come - on journeys
Unworthy - unknowingly unworthy - stay a day
then go, leaving their heavy behind
with her
Black ice, they began to call her
for the elusiveness
the uncertainty and the way
her eyes could chill,
Evaporate salty sweat beads
And pull a frosty puff of
sour breath from their shivering lips
cut their feet out from beneath them,
so quickly
And all they could do to keep
from hitting the ground was reach out
eager arms,
sink a cool head into her bosom.
14 Jan '14
