Food, Winter

Ice, Snow, and Poetry

70 Comments

Last week, the weather was uncertain. First, we had freezing rain, and early Tuesday morning, I woke up to the roar of the town’s sanding-plow truck as it rushed past our house. Believe it or not, this sound is comforting to me. I am so grateful to the drivers of these huge trucks, which go out in the worst weather at all times of day. Our town takes good care of our roads, which in turn makes life safer for its citizens. In the winter, we have a lot of bad weather in Maine, but people must still go to work, to appointments, and do assorted errands. Having driveable roads is a must.

I’m not a fan of freezing rain, but its aftermath is pretty.

The icicles on the bird feeder,

and the icicles on the hedge.

Even the glazing on the salt and sand buckets,

as well as the glazing on the car.

Later in the week,  it snowed.

Snowy branches, snowy roof.

To clean the driveway, Clif had to use our trusty electric snow-thrower, Snow Joe.

Finally, on a cold January Sunday, there was poetry at the Wayne General Store in Wayne, Maine. Yup, Wayne, Maine. Population: 1,129.

The general store is a sweet place with mismatched tables and chairs, which gives it a very cozy atmosphere.

There is a bakery in the store, with delicious bread and pastries.

The event was host by David Moreau, a fine poet whom I’ve know for many years.

My friend Claire Hersom was one of the featured poets.

Also Lori Douglas Clark with David Moreau listening appreciatively.

How lovely it was to sit in this snug store, sip tea, have brunch, and listen to poetry. A finest kind of day as we would say in Maine.

Claire has very kindly allowed me to use one of her winter poems in my blog. Many thanks, Claire.

Thank You

– by Claire Hersom

 

Thank you

for the winter wind,

and the lake,

its water like a stone

 

and for this quiet time

to build words again,

tucked into the foothills

hard as iron like flowers

waiting for spring

 

and for change, its core –

a small violence,

inching soft, inner bodies

out of hard shells,

our frozen winter grief

out, where it can vanish

and blow away

as if air and sun were its wings

and it, a necessary and expected

flight

 

Previously published in The Anglican Theological Review

(italicized phrases from the hymn In the Bleak Midwinter, lyrics

by Christina Rossetti.)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

70 thoughts on “Ice, Snow, and Poetry”

  2. What a lovely post! I have sung the musical setting of “In the Bleak Midwinter” many times. It’s a beautiful poem, and your friend Claire did well with referencing it. (All art is derivative, right? Or as Eliot said, “Taleny borrows. Genius steals.”)

  4. Ooh, those icicles and snow make me shiver! How nice that you attended a poetry reading in such a snug, comfy place. Supporting fellow writers is a great way to foster camaraderie, Laurie.

  12. What a wonderful poetry event and in such a lovely setting Laurie, it sure looks like a finest of days 😊🧡

  13. Boy, you have really did get it all. Every part of your post, with so many different views of life in winter, has a rosy and cozy glow to it, Laurie, from outdoor vistas to indoor poetry readings. Thanks for sharing.

  14. I like a pretty winter day, but freezing rain?? No, thank you. It makes things impossible. Once, my brother’s car slid right down his long hilly drive, despite the car being in park, with the brakes on. Lovely poem.

  16. I could think of nothing better in winter than to listen to poetry, especially with those lovely breads and pastry nearby…delicious!
    Paul was interested to see Clif at work with Snow Joe ..😁😊

  18. What a wonderful day and general store!! Each year my love of poetry increases and thank you for including Claire’s wonderful poem. Glad you made it through the ice and snow, it was scary driving around here a few days last week.🙂

  20. Thank you for sharing your wintry scenes and your friend’s wintry poem, Laurie. Icicles are things of beauty and the general store and poetry event look and sound like balm for the soul during challenging times. It’s good to have escapes into that better kind of reality.

    1. You’re very welcome! Yes, a better kind of reality. On another subject…I am reading An Owl on Every Post, which you featured on your blog some time ago. I love it! Such vivid and beautiful writing. Thanks for featuring this book.

      1. Thank you for letting me know, Laurie. I’m so glad you are enjoying the book. I’m reading Sanora Babb’s novel right now, “Whose Names Are Unknown” and am enjoying it also.

      3. Thank you for following up. You will find many parallels between the memoir and novel, especially in the first part. In the novel I was most touched by the solidarity and dignity of people who are despised and abused. I think Sanora Babb’s novel exemplifies the power a good writer has to educate, raise awareness, and–hopefully–make the world a better place.

  21. Those icicles are amazing! And I, too, love quirky cafes with mismatched furniture and a homely vibe. An event like a poetry reading is a bonus.

  24. I smiled to see your note after the poem. As I was reading it, I thought of “In the Bleak Midwinter,” particularly the lines “Earth stood hard as iron/water like a stone.” Apparently the poet liked them, too.

    It certainly was a perfect place for a poetry reading: cozy and friendly — but you can have your ice!

  27. Wayne General Store looks like a fine place to hang out, even more so if you are treated to poets like Claire doing their stuff while you savour coffee and cake.

  28. The hedge icicles are wonderful. I had not realised that In The Bleak Midwinter was by Christina Rosetti. It’s one of my favourite carols, even though the words seem to be fighting the tune after the first verse.

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  30. Lovely poem. The ice and snow are pretty, too. I understand what you mean about the sound of the snow plow. When we lived in NE Ohio, it was a sound I found comforting, too (especially when I was still working and had to drive). Our first year there we got over 100 inches of snow (we were in the secondary snowbelt — they received a lot more in the primary snowbelt). It was comforting to know that they really know how to take care of the roads in winter.

  31. Poetry readings at the store sound wonderful, Laurie. I would go, and sit and listen!

    We had an ice storm too a few weeks back. Beautiful but not fun at all.

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  33. Ah! to immerse into your wintry wonderland, resounding with pastoral lyrics of snow & hope. Thank you for transporting me into Narnia.

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