Friday, February 5, 2010

the lovely signs

i entered the winter woods
through this soft green doorway


the air a blend
of woodsmoke
evergreens
and snow.


seeing this tree
i followed
the opening -
not entirely sure why -
but i trust
simple signs:

the lovely signs
of a thirsty
visitor

29 comments:

Jenny Stevning said...

Oh, how I love those sweet, little footprints¡

Dan Gurney said...

I wonder...

What do trees in winter think when they smell woodsmoke in the cold of winter? I suppose something like, "Something's very wrong! How can this be happening?"

Elisabeth said...

Every day you offer a new treat for us, Steven.

These photos take me back to Narnia.

And the footprints are marvelous.

steven said...

jenny i wish i could explain why seeing little footprints like this speaks of magic for me but it does. i get excited when i see little animals also. it's never left me - that sense of wonder! when it snows hard and my class gets excited we all race to the window. why not?! have a peaceful day. steven

steven said...

dan i wonder if they have a sense of the larger circles of things in which they recognize the revibration of their bodies through whatever means as a feature of existence on this plane? i wonder . . . . . have a lovely day. steven

steven said...

elisabeth - it's one of the great pleasures of writing and sharing that i can experience the same qualities of pleasure and insight as people who visit here. a friend of mine pointed out that it's very different for each person who arrives here. i think that's magic in itself!!! the footprints - after yesterday's footprints which led down a different path of thought, i wonder where today's footprints will lead people's thoughts?! have a peaceful day. steven

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

Simple signs do beckon...and often lead to magical discoveries.

Dave King said...

The images are stunning and the lines linking them simple and effective. It's a beautiful post.

steven said...

hi bonnie - this simple sign led me to be grateful for the conditions of my existence. comfort, water, an emerging understanding of the value of peace. thanks for your kind comment. steven

steven said...

hi dave - thankyou for your very kind and generous comment. have a peaceful day. steven

Dan Gurney said...

Something magical and remarkable is happening here, steven: your marriage of stunning photographic images and poetic words, brought together in love and a boundless peaceful imagination.

Your posts often leave me startled into a peaceful, grateful clarity...and almost, but not quite speechless.

Golden West said...

What an irresistible green doorway beckoning you forward - it looks like the borderline of a magical kingdom. And, actually, it was!

I hope you get to take that train trip with your son, Steven. My daughter went with me 3 times to New England when she was 8 to 12, to buy antiques for my store. She turns 31 next week, and we both still recall those trips so happily.

Barry said...

I saw some rabbit and squirrel tracks in the little bit of snow cover to got here a couple of days ago, Steven. And I thought I should take a picture of them.

Then realized I hadn't brought the camera, again.

I'm really happy you are not as forgetful as I am. Your images are exceptional.

ellen abbott said...

It's like you live in Narnia only without the evil white witch.

Linda Sue said...

Love going on walks with you, so quiet - so beautiful- Dan made me laugh- never though of how the trees might feel smelling woodsmoke...much like the little piggies smelling bacon, I would assume.

Tess Kincaid said...

Woodsmoke, evergreens and snow. An ethereal concoction.

steven said...

hi dan - i was thinking about the blog on the way home. i have about an hour and a quarter of almost entirely introspective walking time to unravel frustrations, challenges, wishes, dreams even!!
what's really special for me these days is that there are times when i write my entries when the words are spoken before i write them. that's very cool. i've heard musicians experience something like this sometimes. lucky lucky them!! steven

steven said...

hey golden west, thanks for the encouragement. i really want to visit the west coast - starting with bc and then i'd especially like to visit oregon and washington state. my boy is fifteen and i feel the need to travel with him. he's so very himself and i love that. have a peaceful evening. steven

steven said...

hey barry i see so many moments with my eyes and my mind's eye that i think - "well that would've been sweet on the blog" but really it's about filling ourselves with those amazing moments and cameras can be a part of sharing that wonder with others but i figure the gift is right there in that moment that was just for you barry!!! steven

steven said...

ellen that made me smirk and smile! i thought the evil witch queen was cute!!! go ahead and be mean. ha!! steven

steven said...

linda sue you irreverent woman!!!! that's really good!!! steven

steven said...

willow - ethereal - really seriously it is!!! when you walk down a trail and the silence settles in thick as the snow and then the sounds and scents fill your entire living being . . . well it's ethereal. it transports you away from the everyday and leaves you compelled to feel the grace of your surroundings! have a lovely evening at the manor. steven

Meggie said...

Your writing is very thought provoking, and very beautiful.

steven said...

hi meggie, thankyou for visiting and thankyou very much for your thoughtful comment. i'll see you again. steven

Jennifer said...

Steven, the place in which you get to walk is so inviting. Do you walk the same way most days, or do you have lots of choices?

Kathleen said...

I read the last 2 lines as "thirsty valor" ... perhaps the same?

steven said...

hi jennifer - i walk in a lot of different places depending on the weather and then also some intuition. you get to know some of the possibilities of a place - like people - and then you can decide what would work best. my walk home follows the same route each day. it's 8 km so speed is sort of important. the other walks i take are shorter but more convoluted because they follow natural paths or cross fields. i'm really lucky - there are lots of places to go around here. steven

steven said...

kathleen - i know that the little furry guys are used to winter but i always am in awe of their ability to survive and make the best of what is provided for them. steven

BT said...

What fitting words to go with your beautiful photos. A magical little walk and what a prize at the end - those footprints in the snow. It is so quiet in my new office/studio. I rarely put music on in here and your post evokes the stillness and peace I so enjoy.