In the war of warm and cold
the fog fairy swirls
her vapour veil
erasing the scenery,
creating a blank curtain.

Her white wand commands
the countryside to hide.
Her grey gauze forms
a ground cloud
which muffles movement
and deadens sound.

Fog lifts and falls fleetingly
in translucent layers
leaving web diamonds
on the spider’s woven home.

The cloak of liquid smoke
smothers the earth
transforms all features
and leaches colour
from the landscape.

The fog fairy paints the world
with a palette of ash
covering familiar shapes
with her camouflage brush.

Her mist mask blurs and obscures.
The recognizable becomes
a hazy hazard,
confusing traffic
and forcing people indoors.

In the war of warm and cold
the battle is where they meet.
The winner will defeat
the fog fairy
with a small patch of blue sky.