The Power of Ice

Beautiful to look at; Glittering, shiny, chilly, sparkling, frosty, freezing ice. Gently it started, a light mist descending from a leaden sky. Looking harmless, clinging to grasses, roofs, roadways and branches, Soon covering power lines, getting thicker and heavier, It glimmered in the evening light. Darkness obscured its total take-over, Until the lights went out! Cold came creeping into our homes, While flickering candlelight barely showed us the way. Suddenly a shot blasted outside! No- it must be Ft. Knox, Shooting cannons in the middle of the night. The whole house shook and rattled. Large branches, weighed down by ice, Broke off the troubled maple trees, Crashing onto the unexpecting rooftop. One is followed quickly by another, and another. Knowing to stay away from windows and glass doors, Yet we want to see what is happening. Apprehensive we peep out into the wild, yet still night. Still only until another utility pole crashes. Ice pellets slowly change into fluffy snowflakes. By daylight we find a wondrous sight. Hard ice covers the snow, more ice under that snow. The world has become an ice palace. Doors are barred by fallen, broken branches, Yet still, we admire the icy beauty we see. Even the smallest limb is coated with the frozen substance. The world we see looks fresh, clean and white, Sunshine turns it into a magic winter wonderland. Ice- it has the power to stop the flow of life As it is, freezes transforms, and redecorates. It has the strength to pull down poles, power lines and trees alike, One tiny, freezing drop at a time, It grows until it evolves into a mighty, unstoppable force.