A Shard of Ice

The quickened beat of a wounded heart

Struck thoughtlessly by a shard of ice

So rapidly does the heart still

And the blood cool

Their passions fade 'neath falling snow

Ardor ebbs like the tide

Oceans of impossibility freeze

And newborn blooms succumb to frost

One, then, is trapped below this gelid shell

Numb to both glistening sun and somber rain

Yearning for the hearthen warmth

of a single touch

To commence the thaw

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One of the many inspirations for this poem is a quote from The Witcher: The Sword of Destiny by Andrzej Sapkowski: "'Truth,' the kestrel said, 'is a shard of ice.'"

This quote comes from when Geralt feels a pang of depression during a hard period between himself and his true love, Yennifer. When the couple try to work through the problem, Geralt asks one of Yennifer's familiars summoned from their bond about the essence of truth. In the earnest effort to avoid spoilers for a book I love, it suffices to say that it is always good to remember that there is always wisdom in fantasy.