Midwinter Snow Storm

The halo around the midwinter moon
foretold a solstice frigid and bleak,
a storm that would extend into the New Year
and cover the ground with an icy mystique.

In a log cabin a family gathered,
huddled around a wood burning stove,
outside the wind was beginning to howl,
causing the limbs to creak in the pine grove.

Soon the river would be frozen solid,
the wild mountain terrain covered by snow,
the pass over the mountains closed by the storm,
and temperatures dropping to thirty below.

The father got up and looked out the door:
Did they have enough food to wait out the storm?
Would he have to go hunting before it ended?
Was there enough wood to keep them warm?

Closing the door, he got out his prayer book,
walked to the table, and in a candle's glow,
read a prayer for protection,
to help his family survive the ice and snow.

Poet's Note: ▼

Line Count: 20
Form: Quatrain stanzas rhyming abcb
Prompt Words: frozen, halo, winter, solstice, wild, terrain, glow, and snow.
Written for "Stormy's poetry newsletter & contest" .
Deadline: December 29, 2021.