Breath Of Mercy Poem by Susan Gardner

Hard edged cold slides in
ribs rigid, pleural sacs hold iced shards of air
lungs freeze from inside out

white fingernails roll over
round reddened fingers
on fire with cold

burning cold runs through
each phalanx of fingers and toes
lodges in stiff knuckles immovable
in frozen jackets of useless ligaments

Rime of sleep wraps tight
eyelids droop
sparkles of crimson, cobalt, citrine
warm the last slivers

of fading, euphoric mind