ice moment

there was an unusual stillness to the trees this morning
it was only once I got up close
looked carefully
and gently touched
I could see that a thin layer of translucent ice
covered each branch
from tip to trunk

every now and then
a gentle breeze
whispered through

and here and there
this slight movement
caused a branch to
break and fall

what was once alive
now broken
and dead

simply because of a slight increase in weight
a weight the branch was not designed to carry

and this is the way it is with our hearts

almost overnight
a thin layer of ice can form
unseen by most

but this icy weight
can cause a heart to break

and what was once alive
..............

all it takes
is a thin layer ........