The 
            Ice Maiden 
             Carol 
              Cross  
             
            Everything 
              about was white, 
              glistening and shining; so shining 
              that the human eye could hardly 
              bear the radiance. 
            The 
              Dreamer of Dreams 
              Queen Marie of Rumania, 1915 
             In 
              what secret ritual have I caught you? 
              You stare, startled bird, from the canvas. 
              Your mantle of fallen stars only hints at warmth.  
             I 
              see coldness in your eyes, emptiness in your heart. 
              Your hands carry a lump, whose heat escapes  
              cupped palms, to spatter red at your feet.  
             
             Flanked by white bears, your escort to feasts unknown, 
              you wander barefoot across icy tundras under midnight stars.  
              Twinkling lights your way through this night which never ends. 
             
             Whose 
              heart is your burden?  
            
            The 
              2River View, 1_2 (Winter 1997)
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