Year of the Varying Hare

One early morning just before the moon sets

I see you

long-eared maker of prints

in snow.

I ski down a long hill at speed

with the balance,

oh the balance

to scan the landscape

for white movement on white.

Kiyoti came over the hill,

middle of the snowmobile track,

made the kill.

Red on white

blood on the snow

snowshoe tracks with nowhere to go.

Grey kiyoti gathered up white hare,

drug ears and feet in white snow

red blood in white snow,

A long way home and a long way to go.

Sun rises

on new-fallen snow.

Gliding fast down the long hill

Year of the snowshoe hare

Twenty sets of tracks in a mile.

Bite of cold air I glide through

The long hill cool-down and tracks in the snow.

Quiet, quiet, quiet.

The long hill cool-down and trees in the snow

Oh, the trees

and sun shines on new-fallen snow.

Each day I see your tracks.

I begin to see You

Maker

of the long-eared master of snow

Maker of kiyoti

and the tree

and me

and new-fallen snow.