Violence of Change

The snow sparkles
New, clean and untouched
The fresh, cold air tickles my throat

My eyes drink in the pristine scene
Alone, free and without worry
My footsteps muffled by the soft snow.

A loud and unnatural sound
Booms and echoes bouncing off the cliffs
My head snaps to the source of the sound

And then I see it,
A tsunami of snow
And I know no escape

The white powder robs my breath
My sight turns black
And I feel the snow begin to crush me

Everything turns quiet
My sight is gone
And I am alone and helpless

The minutes pass like hours
And I begin to lose all hope
Of rescue or escape

My struggle against the refrozen snow
Which has now become my prison
Is unheard by any one but myself.

Exhausted of all strength
At the point of giving up I wonder
How long this pocket of air will give me breath

I struggle once more
Though most would call it useless
I find strength deep inside and I can't give up

And then I hear it
A scraping, some yelling
And hope rises again

Then a light penetrates
Too bright for my darkened eyes
And I hear a friend's voice

This loyal friend
Carries me to refuge
Across dirty, uneven terrain

A now different world
From the one before I was buried
And i see that I will never be the same.