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

[sasha]

It's only gotten to within earshot of 30 up here, but even that feels balmy compared to what we've been getting. I went out for a few miles yesterday and actually started overheating - had to remove my hat & open my coat a bit. Even then, it was SO nice just to be outside. How many YT videos about movie bloopers or stray dogs getting adopted am I supposed to watch?

[Doreen Peri]

My car is still stuck in the ice. I’ve been home for 2-1/2 weeks. I haven’t gone anywhere other than an Uber ride to the store 1-1/2 miles away. It cost $20 round trip plus tips. $28.

I can’t afford to live without a car. Of course I could get groceries delivered. I don’t know when I’ll get out of here.

I enjoyed your poem, Roy! Quite descriptive!

[goldenmyst]

Sasha I have so missed your poems. While the cold kept you housebound for a while your eventual emergence and this poem sounded like a catharsis of a kind. Loved your descriptions on the natural beauty of your life in the woods.

John

[sasha]

heyyy, long time! Thanks for the Comment. Yeah, it's beautiful out here, but it's been brutally cold. At least it seems to be moderating - it's gotten up above freezing a couple days in a row now. Still got March to get through, but we'll get there. I've just completed another entry for "Stories & Essays", but I'll hold off posting to keep your stuff at the top of the heap for a while longer. It could use another editing pass anyway. You know how it is - after a while, you can only see what you intended, not what you actually wrote.... Anyway - welcome back!

[goldenmyst]

I am so glad to see you still here and well Sasha my friend. I have missed your writing. I will never forget the series you wrote on your experiences after having had a stroke. Your account of your experience was fascinating as you described it all from the moment it happened to the hospital. You have such a great gift my friend. Always a pleasure to read you. Looking forward to reading the story you mentioned. Love your writing.

John