Snowflakes Circling Round and round Falling toward Frozen grass Too cold out For human hands Tiny birds Swooping Up and down Trees to feeder Feeder to ground Feathers puffed White bellies shining In contrast with Gray skies Gray bark All but one… Its red feathers Radiant against The wintry scene Its red crest Held high thru The winter storm
The temperature in my little corner of Oklahoma today is a whopping 5 degrees. The windchill is -16. Winds are howling, and snow is blowing. But the birds still flit in the backyard. Our feeders are full, thanks to my sweetie. 💙❄️🌬
The snow fell Light and fluffy Gusty winds Caused confusion As to how much But the snow fell White and bright On the ground It called my name In the morning Here I am! It called again At mid-day Still waiting! It tried one more time Daylight is fading You’d better hurry– Cautious steps Bended knees Body outstretched On the ground Giggling like a child Answering the invitation To be wrapped up In a moment Of pure joy
The snow finally came. And yes, I made my snow angel. Gone are the days of playing in the snow until our hands and feet are frozen. These days, I enjoy its beauty from the warm inside. But I could not let this snow pass without making that snow angel. I’m so glad I listened to my heart. And that my husband was there to help me up off the ground!
White sky Whooshing wind Bare trees I sit inside And wait Certain I’m not The only one Waiting… For the scene To turn upside down Or is it right-side up? Waiting… For the white sky To release its weight And fall, fall, fall To the ground below Welcoming the waiting Into its cold Yet, joyful Embrace Begging us To stay and play Until… Our toes are cold Hands are frozen Cheeks are rosy Until… The warmth Beckons us Back inside Until… Our cold toes Frozen hands Rosy cheeks Thaw from the outside in Or is it from the inside out?
Certain winter scenes Always bring a smile Whether adult or child Experienced or novice A sweet innocence Emanates from faces As they lie down On their backs In fresh, fluffy white snow Fluttering their wings Up and down Up and down Before standing up To view the temporary Angel portraits left behind At least, 0ur earthly imaginations Of what angels look like- Magnificent creatures We do not understand Yet, believe they are sent At certain times To protect us That, I have experienced Though I haven’t seen one I have also never Made a snow angel Maybe one day soon…
We are under a winter storm warning here in the middle of Oklahoma. Sleet? Freezing rain? Will we actually get snow? Our current projection is seven inches of snow. As for any snow angels, stay tuned. 😉
I stare into the dancing flames Reds, yellows, oranges Rising from the dry wood Shifting on the ground
Fanning the playful flames I warm my cold hands Not too close-flames that warm May also burn
Extinguishing the dying flames- Water mixing with fire I stare at the rising steam The blackened wood
Leaving behind the cold Leaving behind my worries I walk with hope Into the light of a new day
Renewal
I watch you Intricately Designed Miniature Works of art No one like The other Dancing Across the sky Making your way To the ground To a tree branch To the tip of my nose I watch you Eagerly wishing Your numbers Would grow And blanket the earth In hopeful renewal Fall, little snowflakes, fall
The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5
Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we do not see. Hebrews 11:1
Living in Arkansas and Oklahoma, snowfalls are uncommon. Several years might pass between weather events. They bring a sense of wonder, fuel for the imagination.
Around five inches of snow fell last night in our corner of Oklahoma. Another four to six inches may fall tomorrow night. Of course, wind chills are negative. So, we are enjoying the view from inside our warm home.
As I sat down to write this morning, I wasn’t planning to write about the snow. I planned to follow a familiar writing prompt pattern, which did not include snow. It is funny how one thought leads to another and another. Often with an unexpected result.
Writing out my list of words from the prompt, one stood out-sheep. Sheep turned to lamb turned to white turned to snow. And the progression of thoughts became a poem. While writing, an image kept coming to mind. It was a stuffed animal lamb. When you turn its silver key, music plays.
This particular lamb rests happily on a shelf at my parents’ house. It was mine when I was a baby. A quick text to my mom, and I had several photos of my cherished lamb. As you can see, this lamb was well-loved and is no longer white like the snow. But I am glad its sweet face appeared in my memory today.
Tranquility
Ground covered In fluffy white Like an innocent lamb Precious and new Quiet cries quickly Comforted by mother Pink belly once again Rising and falling In perfect sleep No fear of today No worry about Tomorrow Only tranquility in The fluffy white- Tranquility in A blanket of snow
Rain poured all night long. Thunderstorms make for sound sleep, but not this kind of rain. Sounded more like a flood.
I woke up several times during the night. Yep, it’s still raining. Made me feel restless.
When I finally decided to crawl out of bed and get my coffee, the sky was dark and gray. Still raining.
No lazing around. My husband and I had appointments for COVID tests this morning. Not exactly how I would have chosen to start the day, but necessary. (Feeling fine. 🙂 I will update later.)
About the time I was dressed, he said, “Look outside. It’s snowing!” Heavy white flakes were beginning to mix with the pouring rain. By the time we reached our test site, the precipitation had changed. No more rain. Just beautiful fluffy snowflakes!
I watched in awe of this lovely gift! I could feel a change in my spirit as the rain changed to snow- a perfect picture of this year that is about to end.
Yes, there has been much heartache. But there is still hope. And today, it comes in the form of countless snowflakes, each an original, falling from the sky to blanket the world outside.
Three days Had passed Since the snowfall First in seven years Glistening drops of Magic remained Though much Of the snow Had melted One tree Stood tall On the side Of the road Proudly wearing Its Fall colors Accessorized with Frozen white blossoms- Thankful to have Caught a glimpse- By the next day They had disappeared
I so enjoyed the snow last weekend. Mesmerized, I watched as the snowflakes fell, covering everything in their path. It felt like a gift, a fresh start. I am hoping for more snow this year. Next time, I might have to make a snow angel. 😉
Snow is not a common occurrence in Oklahoma. The expectation brings a collective holding of breath. Adults become like little children, waking up all hours of the night to see if the snow is falling.
Today is one of those uncommon days. I was awake several times during the night. At first, all was still and quiet. Doubts began to creep in…the forecast was probably wrong anyway. And then I heard something hitting the roof.
A quick look outside brought disappointment…only rain. According to the forecast, it should be changing to snow in another hour or so. I would hold my breath a little longer.
Finally, the transformation from rain to heavy snow began! It didn’t take long for the grass to turn completely white. Snow-tipped evergreens now graced the backyard. And the snowfall looked like it would last forever.
What is it about snow? It has the power to transform the faded colors of winter into a magical wonderland. Snow makes me feel like a child again-at least in my heart. But most of all, it is a reminder that when all feels bleak, the uncommon gives hope.
In the Bleak Midwinter Kelley Morris, piano
Transformation
Moonlight shines on Snow-covered grass Afternoon clouds Long dissolved Giving stars their Chance to shine Pulsing through The darkness Feathered birds- Cheerful melodies Now quieted- Nestle peacefully Inside their nests While the fox Ventures out to Gather food for pups Sleeping in the den I am tired, but The moon shines Snow is calling- Do I snuggle in Like the birds Or venture out Like the fox? Wisdom says Sleep can wait Give witness to The transformation
Today was the perfect snow day. An announcement was made last night that there would be no school today. That meant no need to set an alarm!
The sound of sleet falling woke me up around 4:00 A.M. Of course, I had no trouble going back to sleep. Our dog, Poppy, was the next to wake me up. Her trip outside was quick, and it was back to sleep again.
Poppy’s little paw prints. 😉
Around 7:00 A.M., I decided to make some coffee. This time, snow was falling! The grass and trees were covered with a beautiful white blanket. After a hot bowl of oatmeal, another cup of coffee, and a check of the news-it was time to go back to sleep.
That is the beauty of a snow day. It is certainly not something I can do on any given day. But when the opportunity arises, I don’t pass it up. The truth is, I repeated this coffee/sleep/news process one more time. Minus the oatmeal, of course.
The snow is such a beautiful reminder of fresh starts. Everything gets covered. Given a chance to rest. In a sense, forced to rest. To put away the responsibilities and worries of the day.
Beautiful snow, beautiful trees.
Yes, they will still be there tomorrow. But the extra physical rest may be just what I need to approach them with a clear head. Perhaps see them from a new perspective with renewed energy.
But for now, it is still a snow day. And I think it is time for a nap!
Piano Girl 