snow – Poetry, Short Prose and Walking

Tracks

  Covering a lie is
like covering one's tracks
  in the snow.

Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar. Amaya is hosting with a four part challenge: (1) The poem must tell a story in one sentence. (2) The poem must explore the theme of ‘the end of civilization as we know it.’ (3) The story must tell of an odd or embarrassing incident, either heard about, witnessed, or autobiographical. (4) It must be improvised.

It is one sentence. I lifted it without revision from my notebook so it is an improvisation. I suppose ‘snow’ could be analogous to ‘civilization’. The futility of covering one’s tracks in the snow might suggest a story where a protagonist is motivated to hope the snow melts (civilization ends) at least until the protagonist realizes that lies without the cover of civilization could be easier to spot.

Touch

Forgiveness brings the softest touch
Yet smashes walls to let in light.
We throw away the leper’s crutch.
The snow that bothered us so much
Now sparkles like bright stars of night.

Linked to dVerse Poetics where Sarah is hosting with the theme of “touch”. I am also linking to Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays.

Photos: “Morning Snow”, above, and “Trail of Leaves Through the Snow”, below.

Gathering

Gather my emotions here
Where they’re sheltered from my fear,
Where a rich serenity
Holds me like a friend who’s near.

When snow rests upon the bloom
May it see beyond the tomb.
Spring sings of fresh liberty,
Gathers life and gives it room.

Text: Linked to dVerse Quadrille hosted by Lillian. The 44-word poem must contain some variation of the word “gather”. The form I am using is a variation on the rubaiyat which I will be featuring this Thursday.

Photos: “Gathering of Blue Blooms and Snow”, above, “Spring Beginnings”, below.

Fire

Every candle shows its flame,
Burning wax, reheating blame.
Maybe it is all the same
When the end upturns the game.

When the end sets up the fall
Will my candle scatter all
Flickers fighting in a brawl?
Fire the passion. Free what’s small.

Text: Linked to dVerse Quadrille. De Jackson (aka WhimsyGizmo) hosts with the theme word “fire”. I used the tanaga form for this poem after reading a poem last week by Bekkie Sanchez.

Photos: “Winter Scene with Morning Sun”, above, and “Winter Scene with Afternoon Sun”, below.

Winter’s Grey and Sparkling White

Saturday afternoon the snow started slowly. Being warm the flakes became thick. I started my walk catching some of it, missing most of it. I am not aware enough to be aware of everything. I must leave some for the saint’s creative contemplation or the monk’s mindful meditation.

The snow came down thicker and more beautifully as I walked back through sparkling white. I did not expect so late in my grey year to have so many blessings as if my impatience and despair had been forgiven.

GREY SKY WITH WHITE OWL
WAITING IN THE SNOW-FILLED TREE
LOOK–HE FLIES AWAY

Text: Linked to dVerse Haibun Monday. Björn is hosting with the theme “grey”. I am also linking to Debbie Roth’s Forgiving Fridays.

Photos: “Snow on Bush”, above, and “Snow on Branch”, below.

Outside

Snow wraps white.
Sky beams blue.
Winter’s night–
Calmly true.

Text: Linked to dVerse Meeting the Bar. I will be hosting and the theme is brevity with poems five lines or less. There are no other constraints. The pub opens at 3:00 PM EST.

Photos: “Sidewalk and Freshly Plowed Snow”, above, and “Winter Sunset”, below, linked to Frank Jansen’s Tuesday Photo Challenge with the theme “in my life”.

One-Liner Wednesday

The mundane is in the mind of the beholder.

Text: Linked to Linda G. Hill’s One-Liner Wednesday.

Photos: “Snow Covered Park”, above, and “Snow and Ice”, below, by the author and linked to Frank Jansen’s Tuesday Photo Challenge — Quotidian.

Pleasantly Surprised

Conspiracy theories come in pairs. There’s the nutty theory I won’t believe in, because–well–it’s nutty, and there’s the opposite theory that, for some possibly nutty reason, I do. Motivated enough I could likely prove anything is true, which doesn’t imply that nothing is true.

Every time I take a stand I lock the front door, but I keep the back door open to offer protection to those good folk polarized in the same direction that I am. If there are monsters coming at me, this is a reasonable thing to do. Often I am pleasantly surprised by who comes through the back door seeking and offering protection. Sometimes it is the very people I thought would be storming the front door. Sometimes I look out the window on the front door after a major storm and see blue skies, pleasantly surprised at the absence of monsters.

FRESH SNOW BRIGHTENS PATHS
EVEN WINTER GRAYNESS SHINES
DOORS REMAIN UNLOCKED

Text: Linked to dVerse Haibun Monday with the theme “pleasantly surprised”. I am hosting today. The bar opens at 3 PM EST.

Photo: “Puzzle Pieces Prior to Polarization” by the author.

Visit

The day turned cold and dark. We went to bed.
Our eyes closed on a starry, winter’s night.
Visitors appeared and we were led
Through lost, forgotten, ancient, truer light.
Their messages grew clear with inner sight.
When morning showed the brightness of fresh snow,
Those secrets we uncovered we let go.

Text: Linked to dVerse Poetics. Lillian is hosting with the prompt word “visit”.

Photo: “Covered” by the author taken last winter.

Tag: snow

Tracks

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Touch

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Gathering

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Fire

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Winter’s Grey and Sparkling White

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Outside

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One-Liner Wednesday

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Pleasantly Surprised

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Visit

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