Sleet in the night

I know what happened.
The sky froze solid and,
warped by unrelenting blasts
direct from the shores of Nome,
fractured.
Razor-edged stone-hard
shards of atmosphere
pelted down overnight
and might have shredded us,
had you not been so warm.

'12

they thought it came
as they celebrated
with noise and dance and drink
before death-deep dreamless sleep
but here
as first light glistens
on monuments to the dead
here
as prayers and songs of the living
rise through tall trees
here
as the sun breaks the horizon
here
as the mercies of God are renewed
the new year begins
here