Artist

Alexander Averin

Friday 8 January 2010

A Walk in the Snow

White snow, blue sky, black trees, hoar frost.

The bride of Nature is dressed in white from head to toe
and she is calling the tune.
Miles and miles of white, her train is a work of art
and her icicles parade decoratively from the branches.
Across the edge of the frozen river
the Sun picks out the jewels that sparkle on the moor.

It is a day to pause as we put our extra layers on
and other layers are peeled away, like the dour reserve
of adulthood as our eyes widen, our faces glow
and we smile as our childhood selves are found beneath.
I want to be Heidi on a Swiss mountain
and I do not stroll or saunter, I simply tread and tread
and joy fizzes up through my woollen socks and my boots;
up and up, all the way to my heart.
My dogs gallop with white moustaches
as they race and taste the drifted snow,
just right in its pure crunchiness.

Dear Mr Media,
don’t make a crisis out of this season
for it is a gift of special days,
a drama rare enough to rise above
and we can all become as players on its stage.
It’s only winter once a year
and at least the rain has left us for a while.

Back home now at the cottage door
my stone angel is white-capped as she sits and blesses me.
Still deep in her book and deep in snow as well.

White snow, blue sky, black trees, hoar frost.


Cait O’Connor

26 comments:

Pamela Terry and Edward said...

Oh goodness, I loved this! You described my feelings perfectly! Best to you as we both revel in the snow!
Edward, of course, is thrilled with it all!

Withy Brook said...

Lovely lovely lovely. More picturesque than my pictures.

Friko said...

Lovely, we are all getting very excited about the wonderful spectacle nature has provided us with this winter.

I have taken more photos than ever before and my eyes are indeed open in wonder, like a child's.

Frances said...

Cait, how I have enjoyed reading this poem. I took each step with you, and skipped when you skipped.

Yes, each of us ... particularly those who call ourselves adults, should occasionally have an opportunity to see what's all around us in a new way, and realize that it might be a sight from a memory that we cherish.

Really beautiful. xo

The bike shed said...

Like the new picture

And the bit about dogs galloping with white moustaches

Rob-bear said...

All so very delightful!

Decadent Housewife said...

Perfect.

CAMILLA said...

A truly lovely post Cait, I adore the snow and I am enjoying our magical scenery here.

xx

ds said...

Lovely.

Anonymous said...

Such a lovely piece of writing Cait, full of winter crunchiness, white beauty, optimism -loved it!

Vee said...

Oh, Cait, I love this! Wonder if you'll allow me to copy it for use in my photo frame...giving you proper credit, of course.

Auntie sezzzzzz... said...

Lovely descriptive entry. Thank you.

And I'm happy you like the pic in my Header on my blog. It's an old photograph of my Mother, when she was about 27 years of age.

Jenny said...

I love the picture in your header. And what a lovely poem. Very, very beuatiful blog. Thank you.

Vicki/Jake said...

I was sent over here by Aunt Amelia's Attic because of my blog post on lifesoverhaul.blogspot.com

Bless her heart (O:

She knew what an awesome tribute to winter this is. I'll stop sniffling! (I also love the beauty of winter, just not the icy cold!)

And now I'll be back gain...Thanks!

Evening Light Writer said...

"It is a day to pause as we put our extra layers on
and other layers are peeled away, like the dour reserve
of adulthood as our eyes widen, our faces glow
and we smile as our childhood selves are found beneath."

Such fantastic lines that surely they could become a poem themselves. Snow is a powerful dichotomy though, isn't it.

Fennie said...

Great poem Cait. We are all a little bewitched by the white magic and you have described it beautifully.

Reading Tea Leaves said...

Cait this is so beautiful. I love the line 'I want to be Heidi on a Swiss mountain' and when you talk about being blessed by your stone angel, deep in her book and deep in snow. Sheer bliss.

I somehow managed to miss a few of your last postings so I'm going back for some more inspiring prose. Thank you for your wonderful blog, my friend.

Jeanne

Pat @ Mille Fiori Favoriti said...

I came over from Vee's blog to read your lovely poem. I also enjoy Winter as a season and would feel a loss not to have it if i lived in a warmer region. Winter has a beauty all its own.

Anonymous said...

That was so beautiful. I really do agree with you about the media making a dog's dinner out of the weather. But you have a lovely attitude to their overwhelming desire to depress us all!!

CJ xx

Great said...

i have seen snowfall only once.

Tattieweasle said...

The joy and wonder of it beautifully put - we forget sometimes. Tonight as I put the hens to bed teh frost had settled too and in the gloamish light the garden looked like the Ice Queens' Palace.

Anonymous said...
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Nan said...

Though not nearly as beautifully written as your piece(!), there was an article in our weekly paper this week about the weather folks. He called it, 'If we listened to the alarmists, we'd never dare to venture out' - And we live in snow country!

Elizabeth said...

I love the dogs galloping with white moustaches.......
sch a painterly poem!

Karen said...

Hello Cait
Thanks for stopping by at my blog.
Of course I had to come and look at yours :)
What a lovely place it is too. I shall also return for more peeps.
Have a lovely day x

Michelle Palmer said...

LOVELY! Such a gorgeous poem... each word a photograph of its own~

Great way to begin my day, thank you!
Michelle