Heather Harrisson

Winter escape

Frozen ground crunches,
Beneath mud covered boots,
The silence is astounding,
Among the dark tree roots.

All is grey and white,
Dark shadows line the ground,
Snowflakes flutter gently,
Falling down and down.

I\'m all alone out here,
Nothing moves or stirs,
Even time is frozen,
Among the frosted firs.

All encased in white 
Thick glass smothers puddles,
Like a forest in a snowglobe,
In my own polar bubble.

My fingers twitch slightly,
Their ends are turning pink,
I blow my clouded breath,
Warming them as I think.

I sense a strange feeling,
Deep inside my soul,
As though I should stay forever,
Let it swallow me whole.

My footsteps echo around me,
Crisp, sharp, precise,
As I come across a pond,
With a glittering lid of ice.

There\'s such an emptiness,
Around me in these woods,
As if I\'m the only thing alive,
The thought to me feels good.

I like to be alone,
Out here among the trees,
Where everything is blank,
Without colour, cold and free.

There is no wind today,
No rustling in the branches,
The cold air clings to me,
Hardens crystals to my lashes.

Surrounded by this whiteness,
In this tranquil silent place,
I feel as though this is the world,
There\'s nothing more in space.

I wish life were this simple,
Black and white and cold,
Without all the hard choices,
Without fear of growing old.

If I could stay forever,
In this kingdom of simplicity,
I would happily stay silent,
Without the real worlds toxicity.

But sadly I must leave,
I knew this from the start,
That no matter how I want
To stay I must depart.

Back to worlds of movement,
Where I am just a number,
To primary men in primary places,
With all their primary colours.

So goodbye my pure white paradise,
Perhaps we\'ll meet again,
When the world has stopped its spinning,
And we\'ve lost more than we gain.

Stay still and silent for me,
Awaiting my return,
Take on no more colours,
Remain blank without concern.

I\'ll be with you in spirit,
Floating with the flakes,
So continue in your silence,
And stay my winter escape.