Jan. 3rd Sunday Write Follows Local Cold Snap

Ah, that time again has come, the Bloomington Writers Guild “Third Sunday Write” (cf. December 19, et al.), with four prompts supplied by moderator Shana Ritter, of which I chose the first. That is, perhaps because we’re just past a single-digit (and moments below zero) cold snap, in which I had to go out several days and — perhaps because of, perhaps not — am now at home resting, trying to shake off a bothersome cold, I went with the snowy one (almost all melted outside by now, though).

1. Under the Snow

Moles, voles, shrews, insects,
the cat treats them as equals —
a snack or a quick lunch —
as they create their own tunnel-world
underneath the snow.
It’s surprisingly warm there,
body heat building up
out of the wind,
but that gives them away too.
Tiny pores in the white
from partial melting
bring the air in —
vermin gotta breathe too, you know.
But it’s the bigger holes
that you watch out for,
signifying that larger subterranean creatures
feed on small beings also
and, should they rise,
breaking through the surface,
ice trolls enjoy people too!