Blue Ice

The glacier is born high up
In the permanent snow field
Where ice and snow
Accumulate year after year,
Building up over time
To thousands of feet thick.
The immense weight
Of overlying snow
Compresses the snow pack,
Squeezing it out
Into frozen rivers
Which push out
Towards the sea.
Though the snow and ice
All start out white,
It’s color shifts
With compression,
Changing to turquoise,
And even violet,
If sufficiently compressed.
The melt water from the glacier
Often gets in on the act,
Turning a beautiful shade of blue.
No description,
No matter how picturesque
Or vividly dramatic
Can convey the impact
Of seeing the frozen rivers
Of blue ice in person.
It leaves a person in awe
Of the force of nature,
And overwhelmed by its beauty.