• And as the wind lashed down on my face,
    And as the rain flicked me with its harsh finger tips,
    And as the cold ran deep in my bones,
    I realised,
    I was not alone.

    And as the snow seeped into my boots
    And as the frost sneaked next to my skin
    And as the lips on my face turned blue
    I realised,
    I was missing.

    My feet fell under me,
    My face dipped into the white sea,
    My breathing slowed to a single whisper,
    I realised,
    I was fading.

    I roll my head to the side, painfully,
    I blink away the ice from my eyelashes,
    I follow the flash of grey with my lazy eyes,
    I realised,
    I was breaking.

    The smear of grey slowed,
    The picture ran through my head,
    The word sprung to my brain,
    I realised,
    I was smiling.

    A mutter rose from the animal's lips,
    A ghostly snarl caught in its throat,
    A pad of a killer's paws came closer,
    I realised,
    I was standing.

    I stumbled over to the beast
    I watch it rest, head to the snow,
    I hear it whine like a new born cub,
    I realise,
    I was living

    My arms reach for its shaggy mane,
    My weight is lifted onto its back,
    My eyes shine with glee,
    I realise,
    I was buzzing.

    The great animal tosses its head,
    The roars echo around the wasteland,
    The thuds of the killer's paw, flying across this freezing desert,
    I realise,
    I was laughing

    My blood pumps through my veins,
    My eyes are blue slits, closed at the wind,
    My ears ring with the sound of snapping ice,
    The beast leaps
    I cry with joy
    And I realise,
    I am not alone.