The Wait

White and black,

long, orange beaked,

cold withstanding and enduring

wobbling creatures on endless sheets of ice

stretching as wide as time held in arms

of the universe.

Gushes of scorching cold beat against their backs

as they protect the egg from the blizzard winds blowing,

pricking everything in its path. The shell that once

kept the egg shielded will soon collapse, leaving

it vulnerable to the scalding season.

They huddle together and prepare for the time

to march through the blistering cold.

Some will become one with the earth

while others survive the unsparing winter,

patiently waiting for the absence of light to cease.