Reflections on Winter and Sprinters

 

Winter passes and one remembers one's perseverance.

-Yoko Ono

Looking backward to winter may cool down the heat and humidity for me, or at least, it will bring back some interesting memories. It seems like this past year was endless with the pandemic's hold on life and nature's multi-layered weather conditions that extended winter into spring creating a new phenomenon, a sprinter. 

The Urban Dictionary describes sprinter as "the Canadian season which occurs between Spring and Summer when Mother Nature forgets that it is supposed to be getting warmer and suddenly reverts to Winter for no apparent reason." 

It took patience, perseverance, and faith. Now, it is time to remember those sprinter moments with humorous thoughts. 

My fellow poetry writing colleague, Kay McGriff, posted on Facebook her interpretation of an Indiana sprinter this April. I decided to add a dodoitsu, a Japanese poetic form that I attempted earlier this week.

Nature  surprises springtime,

Powder puffing its landscape

With a chilled blanket of white-

Late April Fool's gift.

©CV, 2021

I found some "sprinter humor" on Twitter by vinn f, @dreamanxiety, 2018, and decided to change the words into a poetic format just for fun.

when I go outside

to shovel the snow

will it be considered

"spring cleaning"?

Recent memories from nature's sprinter storms will be part of the Winter's Embrace 2021 Gallery. Winter has passed. Hopefully, sprinter storms have passed and I have persevered inching my way closer to unveiling my Winter's Embrace 2021. Stayed tuned for the upcoming unveiling of my newest gallery filled with artistic expressions based on winter and winter-like weather. 

I'm now off to celebrate Poetry Friday with our host this week, Carol Wilcox at Carol's Corner.  Carol is introducing a new poet to many of  us, Jeannette Encinias, and states that her poetry is filled with "glorious, richly detailed sensory images."

Gearing Up for A Gallery Reveal

As this year progresses, I sit back and ponder what may have been a winter of discontent with  raging storms, the heaviness of pandemic days, and the challenge of my life move. But there is more to reflect upon. I recall the freshness of a winter day with its bright sunshine and mounds of snow greeting morning. I think of dark nights in which the snow did not even whisper its way to earth, but seemed to salt the night with silence. (Dean Koontz) I recollect snowflakes, soft and white, dancing their way to earth and then, I drift into a sanctuary of thought. It is in winter we behold the charms of solemn majesty and naked grandeur. (James Ellis)

Photo of the aftereffects of a Long Island winter storm by Judi Drucker

Why now in the heat of spring do I think of winter?  Fueled by sights and sounds of this past winter, I quietly sit designing #WintersEmbrace2021 Gallery. Within its range of artistic expressions, I contemplate how many lessons of faith and beauty we should lose if there were no winter in our year! (Thomas Wentworth Higginson)

winter embraced earth

warming the coldest of hearts

silence altered thoughts

©CV, 2021

I hope this post entices you to join me as I gear up to unveil Winter's Embrace Gallery. Stay tuned for the gallery to become a springtime gift that cools down our heated days. 

In the meantime, I am off to a virtual retirement party for Poetry Friday's calendar keeper, teacher extraordinaire, author, cherished poet, and friend, Mary Lee Hahn. 

#MarvelousMaryLee has been a supporter of my galleries for years, so what better way than sharing some of her treasured words from past galleries. 

A dual language ekphrastic poem fit for winter

Since winter edged its way back into spring in one of its sprinter moods, I share one of MaryLee's spring image poems.

I also would like to share Mary Lee's poem on gratitude and give thanks for the poetic gifts she has bestowed on the Kidlit poetry community.

In gratitude

for living among poet friends

who share corners of their minds,

heartbeats of their thoughts,

and the depth of their emotions.

In gratitude

for a bright star named Mary Lee-

keeper of the Poetry Friday calendar,

NCTE presenter with a smile for all,

beloved teacher with lessons that energize her students,

and revered poet friend.

©CV, 2021

#MarvelousMaryLee, may your retirement open the door to another chapter in your book of life!

Hooray for #MarvelousMaryLee

and

our Poetry Friday host, Christie Wyman,

for throwing a surprise party for our #MarvelousMaryLee.

A Spring Peek

winter blew its deepest breath

hoping to hold its reign

as it blustered in today

fireplace turned on for warmth

hot tea, oatmeal - comfort food  

for the writer's winter soul 

spring waits nearby for its turn

patiently sharing  earth love 

some daffodils nod hello

©CV, 2021

I'm welcoming springtime while preparing to organize my Winter's Embrace 2021 Gallery.

Sneak Peek from my slicer friend, Brian Rozinsky.

Isn't this scene just dreamy?

Winter, By Degrees

A sweet spot

not too far from freezing,

makes for the biggest, fastest snowflakes,

not alike how this precise angle

pitches art

as nature's mirror.

Words & photo by @brianrozinsky

Day 20 of Two Writing Teachers' March SOLSCI, #SOL21, March Musings 2021

Winter Blast #2

Imagine waking to a quiet, cold morning of drifting snowdrops pirouetting in a bright sky. Nature's artistry in motion is visible. Intrigued by the sight, I watch the shifting winds, listen to the whooshing, guzzling noise, and then, see snowflakes, flitting through the air in a haphazard motion.

Winter Embraces Its Second Blast

in the calm quiet

after the first snowdropping

blankets welcomed

©CV, 2021, haiku 

cars crusted in snow wait for the unknown

pristine blankets camouflage

a shoveling nightmare 

©CV, 2021, Kimo 

winter art lines

neighborhood streets-

2021's living gallery

©CV, 2021, micropoem

-Judi Drucker, 2021, Long Island

those indoors watch

the incessant snow dance and plop

on a frozen throne

©CV, 202, haiku

more layers to come

so the meteorologists forecast...

❄❅❄

Laura Shovan's 9th Annual February Poetry Project Continues with amazing writing prompts. Buffy Silverman offered this #naturephoto for participants to ponder.

-Buffy Silverman, 2021, Michigan

Winter Tree

Skin so rugged,

Aged with grace

Mapped with lines

Of winter's face.

❄❅❄

Aging is nature

maturing.

Faced with dignity

Life enduring.

©CV, 2021

Before leaving, I would like to share the Poetry Postcard I received from my poet-artist friend, Michelle Kogan.

Thank you Molly Hogan from Maine for hosting Poetry Friday this week. I'm waiting to see if the Northeast is receives a weekend blast as is predicted. Molly with her key eye for photography will be on the lookout for an interesting winter theme to photograph. In the meantime she offers, some early morning scenes at the beach and the draft of her artist's prayer.

New Year Gifts

This year started with hope, my one word begin, and a collection of poetry postcards to decorate my writing desk. 

As a collector of Victorian and vintage items, I have always enjoyed the art of postcard writing.  I am grateful to Jone MacCulloch for bringing back this art with the New Year Poetry Postcards Exchange. I also extend thanks to our poetry community for bringing  good cheer to my home this January.

     Welcome to this January's Mini-Gallery of New Year 2021 Poetry Postcards    

Each poetry postcard below is a beautiful and unique gift from poetry friends. 

I shall cherish them throughout the years.

Jone MacCulloch sent greetings in Scottish Gaelic and English.

recently minted

shiny coin of here and now

ready to be spent

-Mary Lee Hahn

In 2021, Year of the Ox, my wish for you and yours:

Health

Justice

Solace

& Peace

Plus Inspiration for

Your Creative Endeavors

-Diane Mayr

Linda Mitchell, Bookmark and Poem

                                                              Connection longing

                                                              Watching the great conjunction

                                                              Universal hope

                                                                                -Kimberly Hutmacher

-Margaret Simon

January Sprints

past New Year's

merry making-

Springtime is waiting. 

-Janice Scully

Turning the clock back to the early 1900s, I linger over W.A. Martin's postcard to a dear friend.  

Karen Eastlund states in her recent blog, Good Gifts:

Scripture tells us that "Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above."

James 1:17 

I am reminded that the above poetry greetings share the essence of kindness, sweet nuggets of wisdom to fill the receiver's day. As a gesture of kindness, I send these postcards off to you to brighten your January, dear friends.

pngtree.com

Enjoy the Year of the Ox!

I am strolling over to Margaret Simon's blog, Reflections on the Teche, where I was writing to the picture prompt she posted. Margaret is hosting Poetry Friday this week and shares her nestling poems created by her students and herself.

Picture Prompt

My Reply:

 I hear the howl of the night wind and reflect: 

winter bares its soul

in nighttime stillness

moonglow softly shines.

©CV, 2021