I feel the ice beneath my feet....

I feel the ice beneath my feet,
all cold, and solid, and biting.
Frozen air all around me,
crawling into me, holding on to my skin.

Icy winds, pulling at my hair,
leaving bits of snow on my cheeks.
Stinging snow pelts my face,
until the cold and the pain fade away.

Sunlight, bright sunlight, all around me,
shining on the ice, the snow, and the trees.
It touches me, on my arms, and my lips,
and, sadly, it does not warm me.

Sounds from far away places come to me,
like frozen footsteps in the snow.
You can't tell who made them,
but there they lay, like fading shadows.

I take the ice cold air into my lungs,
and it makes the pain go away.
I hold my face up to the falling snow,
and wait for my skin to go numb.

I close my eyes, and listen to the cold,
to the way it grows closer and closer.
All goes quiet, and my chest tightens,
and I wait for my heart to stop.

I begin to wonder why I'm here,
as though I just woke from a dream.
Maybe I'm still dreaming, I think,
and I'm not sure I want to open my eyes.

Curiously, I find myself feeling at peace,
and not so frightened, or angry.
I open my eyes, and see all that there is,
and I see the beauty around me now.

Snow and ice sparkle with sunlight,
like the diamonds in my wildest dreams.
The wind carries fresh scents to me,
like pine, and clean mountain air.

The far away sounds are those
of an ice cold mountain stream.
Winter waters splashing on ice covered rocks,
sounding so clear, and clean, and beautiful.

The falling snow on my face is refreshing,
and fills me with life renewed.
The cold air in my lungs gives me strength,
and gives me urge to sing.

I feel the ice beneath my feet,
and it feels like the most solid of grounds.
Frozen air all around me,
holding me, and giving me the warmth I need.