Cold and Alone: A Poem

At dusk,
in the fading light,
a rat
hobbled along the walkway.

The heavy sleet trickled down
while
the gusting wind collected strength.

At dawn,
in the warming glow,
the rat
lay motionless on the walkway.

Frigid air and bright sunshine
smothered her
vulnerable remains.

Too many of us
die
cold and alone.