Many people are grumbling about the weather being cold today, but I find it actually comforting to get a familiar January day instead of all the warm, soggy, fall-like weather we've had so far this winter. Really, depsite having to bundle up into my Carhartt bibs and coat, my Mad Bomber fur-lined hat, my hand-me-up Sorel boots (hand-me-up because I inherited them when my daughters outgrew them, lol) and my thick insulated work gloves, I'm liking this cold snap. Despite having to keep the chickens contained in their coop for warmth, despite having to bust ice out of the dog and cats' dishes, despite the slick drifted roads, I'm happy.
In honor of normal winter weather finally showing up, I present a poem I wrote several years ago. It was inspired by the things I saw while doing farm chores on a frigid January day.
A January Walk
When the January sky is pale blue,
And the sun shines bright white,
The world is made of frosted glass.
My breath turns to snowflakes,
My skin tingles and I know I am alive.
As I walk, the snow squeaks softly
Beneath my feet.
There is movement in the evergreens;
Sparrows and chickadees peer
From where they nestle within.
Rabbit tracks dance upon powdery snow;
Raised lines betray the tunnels
Where mice travel below.
The snow shows the impression of wingtips;
Earlier a hawk swooped silently
To catch his meal.
Hoary-haired deer glide quietly
Through white-shrouded woods.
And fields sleep gently
In a crystalline glitter.
All is calm and peaceful.
My soul is still.
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