Anna Akhmatova (1889-1966)

The little cloud was up in the sky
Like a spread out fleece of grey squirrel.
He said "I am not sorry that your body,
Will melt in March, my fragile Snow Maiden."

My hands turned cold inside a fluffy muff.
Fear and confusion came to the heart.
O how can I retrieve those fleeting weeks
Of his love, so short and so capricious.

I want no bitter feeling, nor revenge,
May I decease with the last white snow.
I asked the cards about him on the Twelfth-Night Eve
I was already his friend in January.

Oooohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh, what a wonderful thread! I feel the magic of Winter deep deep within, always longing for the snowy landscapes I enjoyed in Switzerland.

I want to share my "White Silence" here again:

White Silence

The morning air carries
the fragrance of snow,
sparkling white beauty
reflecting in my eyes.

I plunge into this softness
this myriad of snowflakes
each a masterpiece of design
beholding a vision of peace.

My footprints across the field
a friendly message to the sky.
I am embraced by the woods,
aware of my perfect solitude.

My breath the only sound,
I let beauty and silence
enter and expand within
and my heartbeats dance.

I need not ask any questions
All answers resonate in my heart,
through the magnificence of nature
I hear the Divine language of Love.

Surrounded by infinite purity
I stand in stillness and awe
to Heaven I raise my voice,
whispering words of praise.

I touch upon the mystery of life
Merging with the glittering light
I am the snow, the sun, the sky
One with the Source, I shine.


Love and hugs. Have a beautiful Winter week! Advent with snow is magical.

Margherita

Thank you all for the wonderful winter thread.

Love,
Vicky

Winter Time

~Robert Louis Stevenson

Late lies the wintry sun a-bed,
A frosty, fiery sleepy-head;
Blinks but an hour or two; and then,
A blood-red orange, sets again.

Before the stars have left the skies,
At morning in the dark I rise;
And shivering in my nakedness,
By the cold candle, bathe and dress.

Close by the jolly fire I sit,
To warm my frozen bones a bit;
Or with a reindeer-sled, explore
The colder countries round the door.

When to go out, my nurse doth wrap
Me in my comforter and cap,
The cold wind burns my face, and blows
Its frosty pepper up my nose.

Black are my steps on silver sod;
Thick blows my frosty breath abroad;
And tree and house, and hill and lake,
Are frosted like a wedding-cake.
\

Robert Bateman

Thank you everyone for the lovely winter thread.
Our weather here has been very nice so far, and winter does have many beautiful scenes and moments.


Winter

The wintry west extends his blast,
And hail and rain does blaw;
Or the stormy north sends driving forth
The blinding sleet and snaw:
While, tumbling brown, the burn comes down,
And roars frae bank to brae;
And bird and beast in covert rest,
And pass the heartless day.

"The sweeping blast, the sky o'ercast,"
The joyless winter day
Let others fear, to me more dear
Than all the pride of May:
The tempest's howl, it soothes my soul,
My griefs it seems to join;
The leafless trees my fancy please,
Their fate resembles mine!

Thou Power Supreme, whose mighty scheme
These woes of mine fulfil,
Here firm I rest; they must be best,
Because they are Thy will!
Then all I want-O do Thou grant
This one request of mine!-
Since to enjoy Thou dost deny,
Assist me to resign.

Robert Burns



Artist: Robert Bateman

Winter is good-his Hoar Delights Italic flavor yield To Intellects inebriate With Summer, or the World-Generic as a Quarry And hearty-as a Rose- Invited with Asperity But welcome when he goes.

Emily Dickinson

Artist: Robert Bateman

This is a very beautiful thread.
Thank you.

Sincerely,
Gisele

LOVE OF WINTER
Atmospheric circulation patterns
Chances of heavy snowfall certain
Ultimate personal picture postcard
Solo frolic in the freezing fun.

Demand for designer snowshoes
The classic winter late delivery
Frontogenesis fantasia
I'll take it as it comes.

Scenes of the beauty blanket
Take me in your understanding grasp
I'll give you a rapid update
It's me cold Mother Nature loves.

David Suriano

An Old Man's Winter Night
by Robert Lee Frost

All out of doors looked darkly in at him
Through the thin frost, almost in separate stars,
That gathers on the pane in empty rooms.
What kept his eyes from giving back the gaze
Was the lamp tilted near them in his hand.
What kept him from remembering what it was
That brought him to that creaking room was age.
He stood with barrels round him -- at a loss.
And having scared the cellar under him
In clomping there, he scared it once again
In clomping off; -- and scared the outer night,
Which has its sounds, familiar, like the roar
Of trees and crack of branches, common things,
But nothing so like beating on a box.
A light he was to no one but himself
Where now he sat, concerned with he knew what,
A quiet light, and then not even that.
He consigned to the moon, such as she was,
So late-arising, to the broken moon
As better than the sun in any case
For such a charge, his snow upon the roof,
His icicles along the wall to keep;
And slept. The log that shifted with a jolt
Once in the stove, disturbed him and he shifted,
And eased his heavy breathing, but still slept.
One aged man -- one man -- can't keep a house,
A farm, a countryside, or if he can,
It's thus he does it of a winter night.

I frequently tramped eight or ten miles through the deepest snow
to keep an appointment with a beech-tree,
or a yellow birch, or an old acquaintance among the pines.
- Henry David Thoreau, 1817 - 1862

tsuki ichirin tôko ichirin hikariau

the disk moon
the disk frozen lake
reflecting each other

HASHIMOTO Takako (1899-1963)

---------------------------

kogarashi no hate wa arikeri umi no oto

bitter winter wind
ends there --
sound of the sea

IKENISHI Gonsui (1650-1722)

---------------------------

ten mo chi mo nashi tada yuki no furishikiru

no sky
no land -- just
snow falling

KAJIWARA Hashin (1864-?)

------------------------

hajimete no yuki yami ni furi yami ni yamu

first snow --
begins in the darkness
ends in the darkness

NOZAWA Setsuko (1920-1995)

--------------------------

kogarashi no ima ya fukutomo chiru ha nashi

bitter winter wind --
blowing now
yet no leaves to drop

NATSUME Sôseki (1867-1916)

--------------------------

fuyunami wa sono kage no e ni kutsugaeru

winter waves
break and turn over
their own shadow

TOMINAGA Fûsei (1885-1970)


Takayama, Gifu-ken, Snow Steps

Thank you everyone for your wonderful replies and images to this post.

Love, Inda
**********



Jeno Helitai (1871-1957)

Like a Madrigal

How you kissed me and how I kissed you,
How we sat together under the acacia trees
Sometimes in May...we two...
Today its winter, I don't remember,
How you loved me and how I loved you,
How you embraced me and how I embraced you
Furtively, secretly, obliviously,
Today it's winter, I don't remember.

The winter with its snow covered everything,
Spring has frozen in my heart:
Today its winter, I don't remember,
How you loved me and how I loved you,
How you embraced me and how I embraced you
How we sat together under the acacia trees,
Sometimes in May...we two...

quote:

Originally posted by dear Inda:
Thank you everyone for your wonderful replies and images to this post.

Love, Inda
**********

And for the POOR SOLES...

The angels provide...

A Shoe Tree!

The Holly and the Ivy
They are both full grown,
But of all the trees that grow in the woods
The Shoe-Tree makes me groan.

:confus ed:

Christmas

A child was born
On this very day,
Bringing light and hope to the world
In a gentle way.


This gift from God
Before our eyes,
A child was born
To save you and I.


Such little hands
To heal this Earth,
A heart of innocence
At the wake of birth.


To teach us forgiveness and compassion
These gifts of love,
This child is our future
Hatred shall we rise above.


Every day a child is born
Into our heart
Love takes form.
These children are a reminder
For you and I,
Christmas can be every day
Just look into their eyes.


By: Tim Cannon
**********************

Such beautiful messages!
Winter's magic, oh how I miss it!

Once upon a time ...

Ice skating
by Margherita Rueger

Winter’s icy breath
eagerly seeks mine
to engulf my throat
with its taste of youth.
Hit with memories
impatient to be savored
I allow my mind
to take seat in the front row
to watch the movie,
to let the emotions flow.
My soul sails back in time
and slips into my body
in its season of Spring …

The shimmering white field
beckons me like a lover
and seduces me to let go
of all inhibitions.
I bow slightly
to the Spirit of Ice
floating in the air
as I enter its domain.
I glide over the
reflections of the moon
and I dance to the rhythm
of inebriating tunes,
in sweet surrender to
the gentle kiss of harmony.

My heart whispers softly
that I can set off and fly.
My bones and muscles
transform into pure energy.
I grow wings of butterfly.
And then I dream my dream
of turning into a star,
into the number one ice queen.
I easily spin, whirl and twirl,
axels are “ein Kinderspiel”.*
Drums roll in suspense
for an overhead performance.
My heartbeat races
in incomparable delight.

Oh, Winter bliss
of long gone times
I still vibrate in ecstasy
at the memory
of my symbiosis with
the Spirit of Ice.
When Winter’s breath
holds me in its spell
I simply transcend time
to be lifted up into realms
of heavenly wonder.
I dance on ice
and I know paradise.
Gentle kiss of harmony
sweet immersion
into the sea of infinity.

Love,
Margherita



Michelle Kwan

Dear Margherita,

Your poem is very beautiful and filled with the magic of winter.
Thank you for coming back to Givnology and sharing it with us.

Love, Inda

quote:

Once upon a time ...

Ice skating
by Margherita Rueger

Winter’s icy breath
eagerly seeks mine
to engulf my throat
with its taste of youth.
Hit with memories
impatient to be savored
I allow my mind
to take seat in the front row
to watch the movie,
to let the emotions flow.
My soul sails back in time
and slips into my body
in its season of Spring …

The shimmering white field
beckons me like a lover
and seduces me to let go
of all inhibitions.
I bow slightly
to the Spirit of Ice
floating in the air
as I enter its domain.
I glide over the
reflections of the moon
and I dance to the rhythm
of inebriating tunes,
in sweet surrender to
the gentle kiss of harmony.

My heart whispers softly
that I can set off and fly.
My bones and muscles
transform into pure energy.
I grow wings of butterfly.
And then I dream my dream
of turning into a star,
into the number one ice queen.
I easily spin, whirl and twirl,
axels are “ein Kinderspiel”.*
Drums roll in suspense
for an overhead performance.
My heartbeat races
in incomparable delight.

Oh, Winter bliss
of long gone times
I still vibrate in ecstasy
at the memory
of my symbiosis with
the Spirit of Ice.
When Winter’s breath
holds me in its spell
I simply transcend time
to be lifted up into realms
of heavenly wonder.
I dance on ice
and I know paradise.
Gentle kiss of harmony
sweet immersion
into the sea of infinity.

Dear Margherita,
Your poem is absolutely beautiful.
Thank you for allowing us to enjoy it.

Love,
yoko

Thank you Margherita for adding such beauty to our winter days.

Have a very happy new year,
and a happy new year to everyone.

Love,
Sue

Truly beautiful poems! And images! Wow!



Thank you all so!!!

Snowflakes are one of nature's most fragile things,
but just look what they can do when they stick together.

Vesta M. Kelly