It was so darn beautiful it almost broke my heart.
Like a fragile piece of glass.
Every tree, every branch, glistening and glittering and
sparkling in the setting sun.
Like jewels and diamonds and crystal chandeliers.
And yet, this beauty was the prelude to nature showing off
its merciless ability to destroy and wreck.
So strong. So weak at once.
The sun had started melting the snow that was covering
everything like sugar powder.
The afternoon turned colder.
Trees were groaning under the weight of ice
on their every branch
and twig and yellowed leaf left.
Pines with needles five times their normal weight.
To ease the burden they dropped some of their limbs.
Others simply couldn't carry their own weight and fell to an early death.
Knocking over others in their way.
Dragging with them cables.
Cutting out electricity.
In every window soon the flicker of candle-lights.
Followed by the sirens of emergency.
Roads needed to be closed and cleared. Cables fixed. Roofs repaired.
The morning light arrived to announce a beautiful last act of brilliance.
The ground was covered in splintered wood of fallen branches.
Twigs in bits and pieces.
Yellow tape stretched across roads not yet cleared.
And yet, look up, and the crystals glittered like they'd never seen the mayhem.
The young and healthy had survived.
Dressed in its most beautiful winter shroud.
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