Frostbite

Breath on the mirror,
frost on the yard,
glass all iced over,
sheets rigid as card.

Footsteps on stairways;
resounding through rooms.
Empty heart still beating,
though faintly it booms.

Cold air I can't breathe,
it pierces my chest.
The cigarette won't light,
my body can't rest.

I must keep my limbs moving,
lest frostbite sets in.
The metal glints sharply,
it pricks like a pin

I smile and the ice
is melting away.
The warmth from a distance
begins a new day.