snow devils
the frigid arctic wind
stirs up snow devils
that spin and twist
in a cold driven rage
spin drift sprays
off the rooftops
as the cold polar air
sinks and plunges
like a thick heavy weight
toward the ice crusted ground
the air looks solid
and dimensional
as though one could reach out
and take hold
of its thick bitter substance
but in doing so cringe
at the marrow numbing
coldness that courses
through blood and bone
chilling and freezing
even to the core
the snow devils dance
twirling and spinning
in a mad white frenzy
set loose by a polar vortex
that has lost its way
across a wind whipped landscape
written by: Sylvia L. Mattingly
February 3, 2019