Hand of Ice

Hand of Ice


Innocent eyes opened slowly
under the dark roof of a cave,
where pre-dawn moonlight filtered in
and silhouetted a tree.
The child arose to look around,
feeling neither fearful nor brave.
Without any notion of sin,
he stepped gingerly to the ground.

The frozen footprints in his wake
sparkled brightly under the stars.
He touched the branches tenderly,
but they were so easy to break.
Looking up and chuckling with mirth
he trampled on bushes like grass,
and blew a cloud caressingly,
so that icy tears fell to earth.

Fascinated, he watched a stream
stop suddenly as he leant down.
Both fish and weeds were caught in time
like a photograph, it would seem.
The puzzled child moved to explore,
on his face a bewildered frown.
He'd no suspicion of his crime,
nor that he could do so much more.

Golden light touched the eastern sky.
It's rays warmed the ground as they crept.
The child's finger traced a sunbeam
curiously. He let out a cry.

As the finger touched the flame
the sun turned to ice.
The land returned to darkness.

He knew not what he'd done.
The grass died. The trees wept...
and billions of little lights unseen
were snuffed out one by one.