Bitter shade of blue

"The cabin's cold, night air black.
Just past seven and no sign of life.
Rise up from my bag
Ice wraps around me
Draws away warmth

Outside the moon is gone.
Frost crystals twinkle.
The stars overhead.
Frigid air bites my face
Nose puckers up,
5 to 10 degrees.
I need no thermometer, I have my own.

Warm food in my belly
Weak light on the lake
Warm water in a bowl
Sloshes to and fro

Step back outside
Past the lake
Howls and moans

Teeth barred to the cold sky above
Tongues quivering in harmony
Wolves cry out, a farewell bid
To another night of hunting.
Hair stiff on my neck
I listen enchanted

Flames flicker and wither
Light grows ever stronger
Pale mountain tops appear.
From clear skies above them
Burns a bitter shade of blue."

As we enter the darkest days of the year, something must wait for light. Before we turned our clocks back the sun wasn't rising until after 9:30 in the morning, meaning that activities that required daylight just had to wait. In the modern we pump daylight into our lives to burn off the dark, but in the rest of the world, life must wait for the sun to clear distant ridges. Sometimes its nice to fall back on those ways of old: to rise early, eat breakfast, take care of chores, and then sit and wait for the daylight.