Wintry precipitation – A storm warning is issued –
Freezing rain –  dropping temperatures
Dripping water forming ice around cold surfaces
      Solid and clear – transparent
Every limb, branch, twig and bud is surrounded
      Encased in ICE –
             The beauty within is adorned with
             crystalline icicles that sparkle
             when lit by street lights and sunlight
      Behold the beauty of this winter wonderland!
             Beautiful – but oh, the weight of the beauty is great.        
      Small branches bearing the weight display their
             tapered crystal pendants
      But there is a cost to this frigid beauty 
             when the weight of accumulating ice
                   becomes a burden
      Limbs and branches begin to 
                   Snap  –  break   –    fall
                      landing with a resounding THUD!

Other Limbs bend low, bowing under the weight
         until the burden is too great
       The bending and bowing is not enough
The tree is UPROOTED
          it’s foundation is pulled up and
   the extracted root system is EXPOSED for all to see

The sight of the encased branches, and uprooted trees 
      caused me to  ponder  how people, like trees, 
      can withstand a wintry storm,  and often bend and bow 
      under the weight of icy and unkind words. 
 Some continue to shine, some snap and break,  
      while others become frozen and encased by frigid words.
 How can the burden of icy words melt away 
       so that the beauty within can again shine through?

  What about the icy words of the offender 
        whose words are intentionally used 
        to intimidate, offend or belittle others?
   Do they not accumulate around the one speaking 
        until the frigid weight of the words and 
        transparency expose the offender?    
    
Once uprooted and exposed
        the icy words used to encase and burden
                           can melt away 
       and form beautiful crystal pendants 
                   that shimmer in the light.