A man walked through a winter wood

Through hush of snow and rush of breeze

As wind grew cold and air grew chill

He saw a muddy river freeze

The river’s motion ice-caught led

To lake thin-frozen, viewed its depths

Through window stained with crimson leaves

For buried caught below, he wept

Dark soaking grass and melted snow

Which once drank in the air of earth

Dragged by clear winds to glassy cage

Could see their home, kept from its mirth

To lake’s center he set his steps

Pounded with feet upon the ice

Set free the sodden prisoners

To let them breathe, he paid the price

And sunk beneath the chill and dark

Above his head the dimming white 

Ears filled with lapping rhythm as

Down pressed the water’s might

And with a liberator’s smile

He let last bubbles float away 

Breathing out all the mirthful air

He did not let the lake allay

But as his eyes cleared of their light

From mud below he felt a rise

The grateful grass and hopeful stones

Buoyed him above towards sun-warmed skies 

Above the ice, above sand-bar

To cooling clouds and glittering stars

Away he goes, to calmer lands 

Where none lie shackled in the sand