To Antarctica

Intrepid feet crush and crackle
Your pristine carpet of white
Shuffle, shamble, trudge, crunch
Through the ever-lasting night

Marching forwards over mountains
Glaciers silently float away
The mercury drops and drops and drops
But they still advance another day

Onwards, ever onwards
Days lit only by the moon
Fierce blizzards whip against their skin
Whistling a cold relentless tune

They tighten furs, pull in their skins
Teeth and bones begin to chatter
They huddle round to share their warmth
Survival is all that matters

Feelings deadened, words are frozen
Fingers lost to frostbite
Behind them and still so far ahead
A pristine carpet of white