Wednesday, December 29, 2021

Triggered Transformation

 


32 degrees

triggers transformation.

Oxygen atoms plus the four nearest hydrogen neighbors

bond in a rigid lattice

stretched with openness,

as a paper thin sheet of frozen crystals

encrusts

the pond. 



I was walking a trail the other morning, actually one of the only mornings below freezing that we have had this year, when I was stopped by the beauty of the sun reflecting off the ice (it also has been pretty gray around here).  It just made me stop and notice one of the beauties of winter that cannot happen in any other season.  

Then it made me wonder- how does ice really form? how can it form such a thin layer?  I went home and googled more information about how water turns from liquid to solid. It is a pretty amazing thing that happens with this liquid becoming less dense as a solid. The new learning I had inspired the poem above.

I love how a simple walk caused a wonder that brought me new learning and understanding. 

2 comments:

  1. I love that you actually followed through to understand the process of how ice comes to be. Beautiful for sure!

    ReplyDelete
  2. Lovely, Cathy! Taking the time to notice the beauty of nature is so inspiring! I admire you for getting outside no matter the weather in spite of your busy life.

    ReplyDelete

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