suspended in the silver thaw

red twigs emerge with beauty through the drifts of snow

Ode to the winter wonderland that I find myself in, where all is white with shades of gray, except for the kids dressed in snow pants and bright hats and scarves. To venture out into the frigid temps, a daring feat of layer upon layer; moving like molasses. Still, the beauty is stark, serene and surreal.

Gone are the days of sunshine and bare feet

Tree branches are bare and dark across the snow laden landscape, motionless in the biting air

Brittle twigs from last year’s flowers edge through the ice, a poignant reminder of what was

Gone are lazy afternoons laying in the grass as puffy clouds drift overhead

The frozen lake now dons the footprints of would-be skaters leaving a path of figure-eights

And children laugh as they slide down the hill on sleds and red flying saucers

Gone are the summertime adventures in shorts with bodies slathered in sunscreen

Put away by a winter wonderland of crystalline white

Dotted with mittens and caps in splashes of color against a pale lit backdrop

During the dormant season, the gone has been replaced by what is

Where all is encapsulated in snow and ice diamonds that glisten

Suspended in the silver thaw, an alabaster world of beauty, awaiting spring

Personally, I’m enjoying the fire and a cup of coffee, but did shovel and walk Isabella in knee deep drifts.

Missy

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Isabella Bird Miscellany

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