After the Storm

[sasha]

 so cold -
lungs recoil, cheeks sting, eyes water
fists balled inside my gloves
boots squeaking in the snow
the camera protests -
autofocus dithers, shutter falters -
and yet...
the storm has passed -
a meditative stillness has descended over these woods,
leaving space for the panting of my breath,
the crunch of my footsteps on frozen hardpack,
and a distant crow sounding the all-clear...

small miracles abound -
long, undulating blue shadows
cast by sunlight trickling down through the trees...
sunlit patches sparkling with pixels of color,
each tiny snowflake a prism...
the translucence of a single birch leaf
dangling from a twig...
an old oak up ahead clad only in snow,
raising its arms to a stark, crystalline sky...
a deer track winding out of the woods to my left
and disappearing into it off to my right...

at the top of the hill, the cold says "enough"
and only reluctantly do I agree, and turn back;
but despite its ruthless ferocity,
I feel neither regret nor defeat -
only a quiet sense of enrichment
 

[saw]

vivid imagery
with the truth of just "being there "

[sasha]

thanx for reading - just HAD to get out that morning - been housebound by the cold for weeks, & it's been gray & dreary to boot - figured the sun might provide a little warmth. It didn't, but lots of visual interest, near as I could tell without my glasses anyway (easier to wipe away the tears without 'em)

Looks like we got about 14" powder - you?

[saw]

We got 8 to 12 inches
the plows buried my car
inside a mountain of ice
yesterday first time I drove
the kids dug me out
temps not above freezing for over a week
yesterday we hit 34
pipes freezing all over Baltimore
I always let the water drip
and run a space heater in the laundry room
so far so good