Midnight

It was cold
and dark
and the flashlight beam
seemed to bounce
before me
the trail revealed
nothing but whiteness
the snow still falling
and up ahead
I could hear
voices
as the guard tower
came into view
"Halt! Who is there?"
it reminded me of
old war movies
on a Zenith TV
in the warmth
of the living room
and before I heard the challenge
with the password
on the tip of my tongue
I was struck by
how beautiful 
this white landscape was 
at midnight
in Korea.