Frost used to form along the trails
in Vermont and New Hampshire,
some hoarier to taste and touch
and footfalls than some others.

It was a matter of perspective.

Many natives and settlers used
to walk the wintry trails barefoot —
freezing, cleansing ragged soles,
which might thaw out by spring.

It was a matter of perspicacity.

Children used to play in the forests,
wiping snow across their foreheads,
cheeks and chins — hoping, as they
waited, for visions of warmer days.

It was a matter of percipience.

Women used to mourn the losses
of soft grounds, hardened by frost
and snow, knowing their workdays
would isolate them for far too long.

Yearly, it was a matter of prevailing.

Frost and snow would fill the vales.
Some would follow and play — some
would walk the other way. But each
year brought its snowy frost and ice —

demanding persistence at any price.

. . . . .

Susan Powers Bourne