A Silent Artist's Visit

 A silent artist

etches ice-

beauty on chilled glass. 

The winds were howling and whistling during this last winter storm. The bone-chilling cold could be heard as we huddled inside our house. The trees were swaying and bending but thankfully never breaking. The temperature plunged from 40 degrees to 7 degrees in a matter of a few hours. 

I was walking through the house checking on various things in preparation for Christmas. As I walked into the room where I was hiding gifts, I noticed some beautiful icy artwork on 2 of our windows. The crystals were aglow with red and white from the decorative lights on our trees below. The long icy lines were so thin and delicate. The smaller hash lines crossing them were of various lengths and looked like they had been carefully placed by an artist. This frosty creation in the corner of my window brought joy to a blustery, frigid, worrisome day.

Thank you Jack Frost for the magical silent visit to show me the beauty that could be found in today. 

Poetry form: Lune

The Lune is American Haiku. It is 13 syllables with 5-3-5 syllable count in 3 lines. It was first created by Robert Kelly  

Mama, Are You Near?

Mama, are you near?

A brand new world awaits 

And your presence bolsters my steps forward.

Exploring, playing, wondering-

Curiosity pulls me away,

Oh, too far so returning to the safety of you.

Today I had the opportunity to see Asian elephant twins. They are about 2 months old. It is very rare to have twin elephants so I had to take advantage of this opportunity and go visit the Rosamond Gifford Zoo. The elephants are beyond adorable.

The twins came into the enclosure one on each side of their mother. The first thing I noticed was their size. They were so small- just coming up to the knee of their mother. One or the other could often be found walking right under the curve of their mom’s body. It was a safe, secure place.

Once their mom stopped and began munching on hay, the little ones began to explore. Their little trunks stretching out to experience things that piqued their interest. But after exploring for a bit, both would turn to look for their mom. If they had strayed away, they would jog over to touch her side and stay for a moment or too. Then off they would go again with the same pattern- explore, play, check, return. The ever present security of mom allowed them to joyfully play and give great amusement to all the humans gathered around.

It struck me that we are very much like these little elephants. No matter our age, we still look for that touchstone of mom after exploring the big world around us. We share our successes with her but most of all long for the safety and security that only she can provide during challenging times. We stay in her presence for a moment or two and then bolstered by her presence, take steps forward into the unknown.

Poetry form: Cherita (single stanza of 1 line, followed by a 2 line verse, and ending with a 3 line verse)

The poem tells a story.

 

Thin Strength

                                                                                                    

Worn thin but strength within,

battle-

clinging

to 

survival,

battle-

stress

difficulties

hope

battle,

Strength within but worn thin.

On a hike this December morning, I noticed the sun highlighting a paper thin leaf. It had faded to cream and was the last leaf clinging to the branch. It was wavering side to side in the cold, forceful winds. It seemed a bit stubborn to me. It was battling all of the elements around it to cling to life for as long as possible.  Even though its life was challenging, it was using the strength within its stem to hang on for another day.

It struck me again how similar to non-human things we are. I know that I have felt paper thin at times, that one more difficulty or unexpected turn was going to break me. I, too, was being battered by the elements of my environment. I had to look deep within myself to find the strength to keep walking through these challenging, uncertain times. My hope, even though it was faint, that things would change for the better allowed me to battle against the stresses of life. I was worn down but would use my soul strength to rise again. This hope allowed me to survive and battle on for another new day. 

My hope for you is during those times of unending pressures and stress that you will find the strength within even though you are worn thin. 

Poetry form: Skinny

Here are the guidelines for the skinny:

1. 11-line poem.
2. First and 11th line have the same words (order can be changed)
3. Lines two through 10 contain only one word.
4. Lines two, six, and 10 must use the same word.