Sunday, April 11, 2010

in those moments

on friday i bicycled home
up and over the hills
through a snowstorm.

no complaints from me
see, when you know
winter's gone away
for a while,
you can laugh
when snow falls
and really
appreciate it
in an entirely different way

~

on those days
when clouds
hang low to the ground
and a late spring snow
holds tight
to winter memories

the wind
whispers
thin grey tales
that can be heard
in the rustling
and scraping
of empty seedpods



it's best
to be entirely alone
in those moments


winter solitude--
in a world of one colour
the sound of wind

basho

28 comments:

Dan Gurney said...

winter solitude
with no humans near, seeds speak
wind whispers in ear.

Delwyn said...

Hi Steven
I have missed your imaginative glimpses into the world beneath the world.
I agree that we need solitude to hear the quiet voices and perhaps they are just noise at other times...

Happy days

ellen abbott said...

I'm the same way. Once I know winter is gone I don't mind the last few cold fronts.

Lorenzo — Alchemist's Pillow said...

I love to mountain bike and your post today has helped me recall some wondrous rides in the snow. The photo is beautiful. On first take I thought those were birds.

Elisabeth said...

I know this feeling, Steven, the sense that the worst is over and even though there might be hints of it around - memories of how bad it has been - the optimism of the improvements ahead - the sun shining just over the hill - keeps all those old fears at bay.

Thanks Steven, for some reason these words have lifted my spirits.

steven said...

dan thanks for speaking through your haiku! steven

steven said...

hi delwyn! the quiet voices murmur. they're easy to ignore. until you listen once and then you know how to hear them. steven

steven said...

hi ellen, the morning's here are still slightly below or at zero celsius. then the day warms into the low teens - if we're lucky! snow. well it was no surprise although it was a good little storm!! steven

steven said...

hey lorenzo, i'm a road biker - i commute on a skinny tired hybrid and ride on a carbon fibre road bike. i've had a few tickles of interest in mountain biking and can see that in my future as there are loads of really tasty trails around here. i like that they have fat tires!!! have a peaceful day. steven

steven said...

elisabeth - passing through each challenge and seeing them recede is a favourite feeling of mine. have a peaceful day. steven

Pauline said...

I am constantly knocked flat here by the combination of photos, quotes, and your own words. Today was no exception. Getting up off the floor with a smile for the beauty of it all.

Bonnie Zieman, M.Ed. said...

I'm unabashedly a fan of basho! Nice thoughts on equanimity steven.

Jinksy said...

As the wind speaks, the seed heads applaud... What a wonderful picture...

Friko said...

perhaps it is good to know that winter will soon be gone, as if he'd never been; appreciation of winter permanent might be harder. Like a friend leaving after a long enough stay.

Linda Sue said...

There have been winters that seem to never end where we live...one month of spring/summer/fall and then winter again.According to global warming it is something that we might need to get used to so any poetry about it's beauty and the stillness of snow, the howling of wind and the rattle of seed pods is most welcomed.

Elizabeth said...

I thought that that was YOUR poem/story

Yes, yes, I do think winter is over

a great deal of
JOY
around here

Helen said...

Now I understand why these last few flakes of falling snow haven't sent me round the bend.

steven said...

pauline thankyou very much. put cushions down next time!!! steven

steven said...

bonnie- i'm not bashful about basho either!! steven

steven said...

jinksy thanks for that perspective!! steven

steven said...

friko that made me laugh! it's so true!!! steven

steven said...

linda sue - one of life's great lessons for me has been to see the goodness where there's not an awful lot to be seen. then to amplify what little there is and tell people we ought to celebrate that little gem! steven

steven said...

elizabeth it's all my own writing until the little haiku by basho! thanks for confusing the two. i'll wallow in my little ego blast for a while! steven

steven said...

hello helen!!! you've got no control over the weather - and many other things - so why not try and find some goodness in what you have to deal with?!!! that's how i cope! steven

Karena said...

Steven,
Wonderful words and imagery. Love your site.

I have an interview with Artist Robert Anders up on my site that is fascinating.

Karena
Art by Karena

steven said...

hi karena, thankyou, i'm very glad to meet you. thanks for the invitation back to your bloggy home. i'll be dropping by shortly! steven

BT said...

I know just what you mean steven. It's fun when a late snow comes - you know it won't drag on for days and can laugh and smile at its beauty. Fabulous photo.

Reya Mellicker said...

The angle of the sun cannot be denied. The snow can't last. Sooon it will warm up and you'll be cycling in the heat of the day through the fields, past the trees and the water. Soon!