Beyond the open door, pristine snow
and at the threshold,
a scared girl
a bucket of hot water
a pail of ash.
Ruin it
purrs the cat at her feet.
Thaw it to mud.
Go back inside,
back to safety,
away from the cacophonous demands of
Freedom.
Who are you?
it begs
again.
What do you want?
The girl recoils
potential a tether from her ankle to
nothing.
She steps back,
a body’s length from the beginning,
waiting for a path to show.
Waiting for life to define itself.