Tendrils of cold,

Twisting, spiralling, around and over you,

In the wintery twilight;

Probing for weakness,

Delivering sharp chills at each fleeting touch;

Raising goose bumps to bursting,

And slowly attacking the feet with the onset of frostbite!

Mistress Winter,

You are a cruel and determined foe;

Insatiable in your pursuit of the living for their warmth,

With an age old repertoire of traps, tricks and feints at her disposal,

And, an abundance of patience-

Like a huntress, harrying her prey,

Until it’s found cornered and covering;

Before, finally, setting in for the kill:

In ruthless single-mindedness given a chance!

So, don’t fall victim to this Huntress Winter’s feints,

Wrap up warm and offer her only a passing shiver,

When what she longs for is something far more grievous,

To add to the growing collection of trophies from this season’s tally of kills.