When the Light Fades

Natali Hutcheson

 

Hurry!

Green mountains turn to dark silhouettes 

as the sun sinks below the horizon

a flame ignites the clouds

 with a burst of blinding yellow, primrose pink, and bright coral

Hurry!

Ancient trees ooze freezing sap

 to prepare for hibernation

they creak and groan

 trying to remain upright against the bitter wind

Hurry!

Hustling ants scurry their way around

 in search for their last bits of food 

before the deadly frost

Hurry!

Migrating elk bugle

 as the blinding snow erases the path they wish to take

They grow out their fur and lose their velvet

 in search of a warmer home

Hurry!

White snow hides Earth’s beauty

 in a thick, frosty blanket

Hurry!

The days are shorter

the darkness stays longer

This is winter

Hurry.