There is an old story
     about an evil cousin of Frosty.
His name is Sinister.
     He is the opposite of a softy.

Some say he was sent by Satan.
     No one is sure, or really knows.
His mission is to spread mayhem
     in every place that he goes.

Sinister can change shape
     to objects around your yard.
He always starts as a snowman.
      Seeing him after he changes is hard.

This is when the mayhem begins.
     Things happen that you can’t explain.
It may appear to be an accident
     designed to cause great pain.

Why did shingles fall off the roof?
     Why did all four tires go flat?
Why did a sewer pipe suddenly burst?
     What is the explanation for all that?

Once this evil spirit arrives,
     there’s not much you can do.
Just hope no one gets killed
     while waiting until he is through.

A chapter of the old story
     describes a way to defeat this storm.
There’s a way he can be killed
     when his shape is the snowman form.

A snow shovel is the weapon of choice.
     But, you have to act fast.
He appears as a snowman for a short time.
     The opportunity for revenge will not last.

Keep your eyes peeled outside.
     Kids building a snowman is all right.

But if one suddenly appears,

     get ready to put up a fight.



Nelson R. Locher started writing poetry at a young age, but it was a private hobby. He kept his work to himself for many years and never thought of going public until he joined the Hamburg Writers’ Group. Since then, over eighty of his poems have been published in The Daily Drunk, The Buffalo News, WestWard Quarterly, Ariel Chart and elsewhere.