Lost in the Snowy Woods

Lost in the Snowy Woods

I walked toward the woods, cold and dark.
Snow began to fall as I told myself
In the forest, I will search for what stabs at my heart,
But as soon as I reached the ingress
Hatred’s subzero wind chill stung with the intensity of a bullet ant.
The snow fell quickly, reaching my knees; souls lingered frigid.
Even the greatest of lakes stood still, frozen.
That is when I knew      I was broken.

Human hearts fight to survive contemptuous stares.
The moonlight sky cannot be seen
Through the snow-covered pines.
Fish do not move with the river
Frozen under the iced-over stream.
What will I eat if I get lost in these woods?
Do only the Wolverines dare to brave the cold?
What will I drink if all the water is frozen?

 I am in the woods so deep.
It is pitch dark, yet the brightness of the snow helps me see.
I need to search for refuge, a place to warm my frozen body.
There is no way to escape.
Am I going to die in this place?
If I follow the tracks of the snowshoe bunny that just passed
Will they lead me out of this blustery space?
Only time will tell if I survive or perish in hate.

Horseback riders draw near.
I screamed, " I am lost; I need directions; help me, please!”
They kept going; could they not hear or see me?
Have the effects of loathing left them deaf and blind?
The warmth of affection, now blanketed in snow, was emotionless.
The frozen woods turn colder as the night grows old.
A harsh terrain lies ahead.
If I do not find a way out, will it drive me insane?

A place where I came to become one with nature,
To find peace, to think.
A place I could leave behind all the hate.
I watched a cougar moving gracefully behind a tree
I stood motionless in admiration, not knowing it was stalking me.
Seeing only its beauty until
It ripped out my heart and returned it in pieces      like all predators do
I envied it for its strength        at first.

Like those I trusted in the city,
The iciness of the cougar took a hostile bite
The harsh reality of its inhumanity left me numb to the pain it caused.
I could not feel a thing.
Once the numbness went away, suddenly, I felt everything.
Enduring hatred is a heavy load.
Driving me to madness, gnawing at me like a rabid beast, devouring my soul.




How many miles do I have yet to go?
I am lost in these woods, where I came to salvage solace.
The promise of finding kind hearts and love.
Was the utopia I thought I would uncover only in my dream?
Romanticism cannot withstand an arctic blast       I have found.
This frigid evening takes its toll.
I find myself in the depths of human despair.
I am forever lost, sporting a strait jacket; Crazy    I have been told.