Winter Mistress

She reaches out with frozen fingers, tapping on my shoulder, looking for attention. Her crisp, clear breath dances about my neck, causing me to pull on my collar, and wrap my scarf a little tighter. She creates a wonderland of magic, but one so cold that I avoid her presence, opting instead for the comfort of a warm blanket, and cozy fire. But still, she has her allure. My curiosity is to know her, to feel her cold, crystal-like touch, to feel the numbness in my bones as she wraps me in her arms. I hear as it were, a strange quietness, the stillness of the moment, the solitude, and the feeling as if she alone is all I have, and without her I am nothing. She captivates me, my Winter Mistress, my only thought, my one desire, until the warmth of spring breaks the spell, and I am released from her embrace. by David Ronald Bruce Pekrul