The Ice Storm

A Hometown Poem

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I walk carefully outside, taking in the aftermath
Of last night’s ice storm. The trees glisten,
So beautiful, branches coated, 
Catching the light. The world is silent, 
Enchanted, stopped in its tracks. My heart 
Skips a beat at the gleaming loveliness.

When I get home, I google “What is ice?”
The first thing that comes up
Is U.S. Immigration and Customs enforcement,
The mission of which is to “Protect America 
From the cross-border crime and illegal immigration 
That threaten national security.”

I scroll down.
The second item is Who Are We,
Which is more on how ICE was created
Through a merger of investigative and interior
Enforcement elements of the former US Customs
Service and the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

The third entry is Ice (Crystal methamphetamine),
Which the entry from the Alcohol and Drug Foundation
Defines as a stimulant drug, which “Speeds up 
The messages traveling between 
The body and the brain.”

I keep scrolling and see more on I.C.E,
Including 3 videos (What is ICE? / A Guide for Asylum Seekers),
Another 2 stories on crystal meth and more 
From Homeland Security. 

On page 2 of “What is ice?” options, 
Eight entries down, I find: Ice & Snow / 
The National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service: 
“Snow is precipitation in the form of ice crystals. 
It originates in clouds when temperatures 
Are below the freezing point, 
When water vapor in the atmosphere condenses 
Directly into ice without going through the liquid stage.”

Finally, one more entry down is Miriam Webster’s
Ice Definition & Meaning:  

“The meaning of ICE is frozen water.”

I google “What is an ice crystal?” An ice crystal 
Refers to a small densely packed crystal of ice 
In the size range of mm to cm that evolves 
And interacts dynamically, growing, rotating, 
Deforming, fragmenting, and forming new crystals 
As temperature and impurity content vary.

I do not even know what I am looking for anymore.
I search for: “Interesting facts about ice.”

I find that ice storms are caused by freezing rain. 
The raindrops move into a thin layer 
of below-freezing air right near the surface 
of the earth, allowing them to freeze on contact 
to the ground, trees, cars and other objects.

Ice storms have the bizarre effect of entombing 
Everything in the landscape with a glaze of ice 
So heavy that it can split trees in half and turn roads 
And pavements into lethal sheets of smooth, thick ice.
Ice use increases the risks of psychosis, violence 
And impulsivity and decreases emotional control. 
This can create a volatile and chaotic environment.

Ice can increase the weight of branches by 30 times.
Ice can cause damage by causing power outages, 
Disrupting access to essential services, 
Creating dangerous travel conditions, damaging property 
Due to falling trees and ice accumulation, 
And potentially leading to health risks like hypothermia 
From lack of heat, especially for vulnerable populations 
Like the elderly or young children.

I look outside my window. The bushes glisten,
Branches buckling under the heaviness.
But still catching the light. The loveliness
Hurts now. The world is silent, 
Stopped in its tracks.
It's crystal clear. 
The strength of ice, 
Which depends on many factors, 
Is difficult to measure.

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