Fence around our snowy
yard, bound by snow laden trees
Somewhere a white dog.
.
.
He’s hiding in plain sight. Where are you OJ?! Good thing he always comes when I whistle for him!
poem- winter wind January 13, 2014
Wafting on the cool wind
as I plow through the snow to the car
comes the heavy scent of roses.
I look for the source without success
as the air is saturated with summer
in frosty winter:
Perfumed paradox.
poem-seasonal delusions November 15, 2013
It’s misty in the hills
Rain falls in spatters on the windshield
How can there be a Christmas Craft Fair
when there is no snow?
still winter January 19, 2013
Of course it is. After all, the calendar says mid-January, so what can you expect? Here is the view from my kitchen window:
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And here’s the view from the living room window:
.
.
Yup. Definitely still winter.
It’s a beautiful time, full of stillness and rest. Unless you’re out on your skis or snowshoes, it’s a good time to be inside sipping cocoa, reading a good book in front of the fire, while you listen to some beautiful music.
Which reminds me of a beautiful harp piece by Sharlene Wallace on her album Journey of Shadows. Listen to “Winter Still.” Sharlene was my harp teacher in the 90’s, when I would go study at Island Mountain Arts International harp School. These days my poor harps are sadly neglected, but I still love Sharlene! After you’ve heard “Winter Still,” while you’re on that CBC site, listen to some of her other pieces! “Winter Frieze” is another of my favourites.
A Year in Love May 27, 2012
I have published an e-chapbook of 22 haiku poems. It is entitled A Year In Love. You can purchase it here. It’s 99c, but if you use coupon code QK59P, you can have it free, my gift to you.
frosty sky January 24, 2011
My sky
is lit with blue
sparkling with the frost
that glistens on the trees.
Your sky
is a vast midnight
glowing with the snow
that reflects a sunless sky.
Our sky
is knit with stars
sparkling in the coolness
that connects our continents.
.
photo by Markku Reijula, Kotka Finland. Used with permission
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I’m missing my host families in Finland today, and thinking of the Finnish winter skies that are bright despite the absence of the sun as the snow reflects light so even in the dark, the world glows with light. There is a metaphor here for life!
Winter haikus November 25, 2010
My feet crunch upon
fallen stars glinting under
the glowing street light.
.
Crystalline twinkles
entrance in the frosty air
with joyful promises.
.
Driving the highway
frozen lazers fire fury
forced blindness brings fear.
.
.
This is the story of my drive home from work this evening. At 5:30 it is already dark. As I walked into the parking lot, the snow was so beautiful as it twinkled in the overhead lights. As I drove, however, the snow filled the windshield. It was possible to see only a little bit in front of the car. A semi -truck roared past on the passing lane, and absolutely filled the air with snow so all the other vehicles were completely blind. Driving in a dark snow storm is very scary. You can barely see the road in front of you, and if you hit ice, you can easily be spinning into oncoming lanes. So- in this series of haikus you see the transition between the picturesque and horrifying aspects of winter!
winter evening tanka November 21, 2010
The road is frosted
with a sparkling coat of white.
Car lights twinkling
Slipping, sliding and spinning,
Sparkle camouflages ice.
.
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(At this juncture, the car is off the road, and the driver is standing forlornly with arms crossed, hands tucked under arm pits, stomping his/her feet to keep warm while s/he waits for someone to push him out of the ditch… Welcome to winter!)
Shawn L. Bird 