Like the flooding currents of every waterfall
Rushing down jagged stones
You travel at the speed of light
As you race down through the trees

Your keen eyes holding a dark secret
Your ears upright and alert as you bound closer to your destination
Your cunning instincts guide you through the wilderness

The beginning of winter whispers quietly through soft, crystal snowflakes
Reaching and yearning to cover the canopy of every treetop

Your instincts tug at your soul
Freedom, integrity; divided from the world as one
But you need something more
The love of a another
An essence soft and pure enough to be cared for

Even as the moon comforts the stars
And the calming, night wind blows at your muzzle
Tthe fresh scent of prey gropes at your nostrils
You feel empty and outnumbered
Distressed and absurd

Weakened by the power of your mind
Your desperate eyes fret to open once they've closed
Restless although exhausted
Stubborn and forgiving

Morning finds you finally stirring into sleep
Dreams of a family
Playing by the river stones
Grooming one another just for the pleasure
Hearts racing, cubs at play

Noon brings the last of the birds heading for warmth
Fluttering about loudly
Clacking and cawing at one another
To keep up and to stay with the flock

You drag your tired body to the edge of the river
Hunger builds itself from the pit of your stomach
As you realize the very bowels of the elements are turning for the worst
White covers everything now
Harsh winds almost make you want to hide in a cave
But you face the pain and leap into the ivory emptiness
In a desperate search for love

Passing deer, bobcats, bears, and eagles
Your nose savors every scent
Your mouth is left dripping in desire
But your destination is far more tempting
And the animals couldn't know of what you have done

Stopping suddenly
Tail erect and eyes bloodshot
You sniff out the intangible terror
Quivering in fear once you recognize the scent
Of your own kind

Too late to collect yourself
No time to turn back
Winter has come
The ice is not far behind
You must make it

Fear has turned on a continuous fan inside your being
Fluttering on high
Sending goose bumps to cover your skin
The fur on your brow is standing on end

Suddenly another wave of fear surges through your body
As a bulleted howl fills the sky
Dusk is near already
Growls tiptoe up all around you
Louder and louder they call
You try to escape it
But you’re ambushed from all sides

A flash of razor sharp teeth
Growls of frustration
Severing legs, paws, your neck
You're done for
They let you be how you are
As you gasp for tiny pockets of air

Your severed brow tenses and relaxes
As air limps into your lungs
How awful it is to die
Though not much was left for you anyway
A lonely wolf in search of a family
When all the loners in the area have either been captured or abandoned
Left to die like you

Your last breath has taken all the energy left in you
As you shiver once more before you are left at ease
The earth feels your soul fill the night sky
As a tormented wanderer happens to approach
Noticing the blood in the glistening snow
She catches your eyes right before they close
Glassy and distant
Like you never had a friend in the world

She too is searching for a mate
Someone to nurture her young
The secret you held within you will eternally bleed from your soul
Even far off and away from emotion
From love, from hate
From everything

She lets up a howl for your pain
Then continues on her quest to conquer the evil her mind is trying to sink into her
All the while holding a secret too
With her courage so deep
As deep as despair