The Winter Shoveller

It takes brute force to
clear away a day's worth
of storm-accumulated snow,
to free up the area where you
live from packed piles of
icy slush, exercising muscles
and tendons unfamiliar
with the seasonal routine.
Tossing shovels of frozen
moisture, a game the wind
reciprocates until the clearing
is complete and attention turns
to the urgency of restocking
bird feeders, reserving a
handful of seed for careful
deposit within the snow
tunnel giving access during
forage-difficult times to
a tiny grey mouse struggling
like other wildlife to
survive these cruel months.