blinding whiteness envelopes me
in every direction I turn;
a biting wind chills me to the bone.
every breath I exhale
carries away a memory;
I no longer know how I got here.
this Northern Canadian wilderness
show mercy for no man,
I expect to be buried in this snowy tomb.
in the silence of nature
my snowshoes shuffle quietly,
the only other sound is the voice of my thoughts.
I accept my fate and take in
the peacefulness of being alone.
nothing can go wrong; I will die in peace.

but the peace is shattered by five sets of staring eyes
peering over a nearby hill.
I can see white clouds rise and disappear
from the mouth of each animal;
the fang-lined jaws of the wolves.
I could feel their presence before I even saw them,
a kingliness stemming from their beauty.
their coats glint in the sun,
as blinding in beauty as the snow in brightness.
instead of instilling fear, I am happy;
the wolves are so regal and far away,
I will die of the cold before they can touch me.
such a sight to see, those wonderful beasts,
silhouetted against the sky.
and no matter how many memories I lose
that one will stay with me.
even as my heart slows and the snow covers my body,
I will keep that picture in my mind.
the shattered peace if put together again.
now nothing can go wrong; I will die in peace.

the pack leader, with a puff of air,
turns and leads the others to disappear over the hill;
how sad I am that they left,
but I can remember the royal image;
it will be the last thing I see.
a howl cuts through the air like lightning through the night,
faintly I hear the crunching of snow
and over the hill comes the pack of five,
death, and pure instinct in their eyes.
they’re coming for me.
as they near, I see their skin ripple with the muscle beneath,
power reflected in their saliva dripping fangs,
heard in their hungry snarls.
the leader leaps and knocks me to the ground,
my eyes can only see his beauty, his intelligence.
and just before he reaches me, our eyes meet.
silently I thank him,
for he gave me a wonderful portrait of power to keep.
I fall feeling his weight on my chest,
feeling the bitter cold of the snow I collapse into.
I don’t know why I’m here,
I don’t know who I am,
but I am going to die.
the other wolves join in and I feel nothing,
for I am busy staring in awe
at wolves silhouetted against the sky,
the last thing I see.
and I think,
now nothing can go wrong; I will die in peace.