Rainforest Winter

White is the land,

trees outlined with pillows,

mountains fierce in

their new winter cloak.

Whitecaps in the distance

look like bergs in the ocean,

a mile is between us and

I feel cold looking at the sea spray.

Tide moves slush into the river

forwards and backwards

and I feel like I am moving

though I stand firmly on the bank.

Frozen but not all the way,

rapids break through ice,

the water flows fast enough

to avoid winter’s freeze.

The lake, usually formidable

becomes a solid sheet,

smooth, impenetrable, and

allows for safe passage.

An ancient river of ice,

cerulean, turquoise, blue,

constantly moving and calving

chills the valley.

A frozen ocean in the mountains,

impassable, inhabitable,

interconnected glaciers

blanket the expanse of the land.

Soon, rain will pour from the sky

melting snow and ice,

but a chill will remain in the air until

snow falls once again.