Frozen

watch yourself breathe
frozen wisps of oxygen
carried away by the wind
icy chills shoot through you
your ears, your nose, your face
numb
the snow crunches underfoot
the noise is the only reminder
that you still move
turning around you see progress
at least it looks like progress
tomorrow those footprints will vanish
and nobody will know what you've done
tomorrow nobody will know how far you've come
your mind, your heart
numb
it's all been pointless
you're back to the start
to make new footprints
only to have them erased again
the futility of it all isn't lost on you
but, pointlessness is no excuse to stop
just to expect less of people
because humanity is disappointing
cold, uncaring, numbed