Like blood in water,
a chill slowly circulates through a small crack in the windowpane.
Darkness covers the tracks of daylight, awakening the wooded world,
Silencing the bark of day.

A full round eye inspects the earth
illuminating the shadows hidden high and low.
Wind caresses a boy’s cheek
it carries a familiar scent.
He searches out of excitement, this is still his home.

The fur of his coat suppresses the cold from his chest
but, provides no relief for the fear masked deep within the den of his heart.
Carrying on, the sound of crunching snow stimulates the lobes of his ears.
Alone and vulnerable he moves on,
Each step, weakening the excitement he once had.

A body of water a few bounds away harasses him
he moves to get a better glimpse.
Peering into his own reflection, his focus is no longer on finding his pack,
but on the actualization that his milk teeth have vanished
Large fangs have taken their place.
his silvery, soft, and gentle fur,
transformed into rugged and worn clumps of knots.
He is no longer a lost pup looking for his pack.
He is the gray wolf, his strength now known
Echoing a boy staring at himself through the windowpanes of a forgotten home.