WHITE SILENCE by Margrit Rueger


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.

Thank you yoko for finding Margherita's lovely poem. It adds so much beauty to this cold season.

"Snow was falling,
so much like stars
filling the dark trees
that one could easily imagine
its reason for being was nothing more
than prettiness.”
― Mary Oliver

Plains and Mountains

All enveloped in snow-

There is nothing else.

Joso (1661-1704)

I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass

And don't think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter. It's quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.

“One kind word can warm three winter months.”

– Japanese proverb

WHITE SILENCE by Margrit Rueger


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.

Remembering Margherita and her beautiful poems.

In Winter the bare boughs that seem to sleep Work covertly, preparing for their Spring.

Winter solitude—
In a world of one color
The sound of wind.

The winter sun—
On the horse’s back
My frozen shadow.

Basho

A Winter Bluejay

Sara Teasdale

Crisply the bright snow whispered,
Crunching beneath our feet;
Behind us as we walked along the parkway,
Our shadows danced,
Fantastic shapes in vivid blue.
Across the lake the skaters
Flew to and fro,
With sharp turns weaving
A frail invisible net.
In ecstasy the earth
Drank the silver sunlight;
In ecstasy the skaters
Drank the wine of speed;
In ecstasy we laughed
Drinking the wine of love.
Had not the music of our joy
Sounded its highest note?
But no,
For suddenly, with lifted eyes you said,
“Oh look!”
There, on the black bough of a snow flecked maple,
Fearless and gay as our love,
A bluejay cocked his crest!
Oh who can tell the range of joy
Or set the bounds of beauty?

EARLY WINTER spreads her filmy veil

over midnight stars,

and the call comes from the deep,

'Man, bring out your lamp.'

The forests are bare of flowers,

the birds have ceased to sing

the river-side grass has shed its blossoms.

Come, Dipali, waken hidden flames

out of the desolate dark,

and offer symphony of praise to eternal light.

The stars are dimmed

the night is disconsolate,

and the call comes from the deep,

'Man, bring out your lamp.'

Tagore

https://www.tagoreweb.in/Verse...ter-spreads-her-3807

First snow
Falling
On the half-finished bridge.

Winter solitude—
In a world of one color
The sound of wind.

Basho

In Winter the bare boughs that seem to sleep Work covertly, preparing for their Spring.

“I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, "Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.”
― Lewis Carroll.

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland / Through the Looking-Glass

Bygone days,

having flourished,

winter petals.

Chiyo (1703-1775)

A winter shower

gusts of sleet-

never touch land.

Mukai Kyorai (1651-1704)

Looking For a Sunset Bird in Winter
by Robert Frost


The west was getting out of gold,
The breath of air had died of cold,
When shoeing home across the white,
I thought I saw a bird alight.

In summer when I passed the place
I had to stop and lift my face;
A bird with an angelic gift
Was singing in it sweet and swift.

No bird was singing in it now.
A single leaf was on a bough,
And that was all there was to see
In going twice around the tree.

From my advantage on a hill
I judged that such a crystal chill
Was only adding frost to snow
As gilt to gold that wouldn't show.

A brush had left a crooked stroke
Of what was either cloud or smoke
From north to south across the blue;
A piercing little star was through.

Spellbound

Emily Brontë

The night is darkening round me,

The wild winds coldly blow;

But a tyrant spell has bound me

And I cannot, cannot go.

The giant trees are bending

Their bare boughs weighed with snow.

And the storm is fast descending,

And yet I cannot go.

Clouds beyond clouds above me,

Wastes beyond wastes below;

But nothing drear can move me;

I will not, cannot go.

Love is like the winter

       It can be

beautiful and peaceful

       but also

cruel and cold.

Shinto

And don't think the garden

loses its ecstasy in winter.

It's quiet, but

the roots down there are riotous.

Rumi

3. Christina Rossetti, ‘In the Bleak Midwinter‘.

In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.

Our God, Heaven cannot hold Him, nor earth sustain;
Heaven and earth shall flee away when He comes to reign.
In the bleak midwinter a stable place sufficed
The Lord God Almighty, Jesus Christ …

In winter the bare boughs that seem to sleep

Work covertly, preparing for the spring.

Rumi

_________

We bury our seeds and wait,

Winter blocks the road,

Flowers are taken prisoners underground,

But then green justice tenders in spring.

Rumi

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