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Tag Archives: Winter

Winter Wheat

I know that the winters
Seem hard and cold, and
I know that the dark
Seems endless.

Remember that wheat is
Planted before the winter,
And awaits the freeze
That it might sprout in

Spring.

Chill

There’s a chill that gets down
Into your bones, and you can
Feel nothing but the cold, the
Ache, and you cease to know
What warm was, and there’s
No escape or reprieve until a
Few months from now when
Winter slowly fades to Spring.

I love that chill.

Winter

“Winter”

Today I look west over the mountains
And I see the sun sinking below them.
Snow coats them, and I dream briefly
Of distant oceans, islands, tropical
Paradises where the sun will not set for
Hours and the people have never had to
Wear clothes with long sleeves and the
Only skiing to be had is done behind a
Boat, and I remind myself of why I
Stay where I am, in a land that gives me
A proper winter.

Productivity

No, it hasn’t been a writing day. However, I’m getting caught up on lots of other things today. Paperwork is already done for both “real” jobs. I finished the last of my Christmas shopping (and all of my Christmas shipping) just in time. Everyone else on the list is getting a homemade gift, which is ready to go but requires packaging. That’s just fine, as it can wait until just before the holiday to hand out. There’s still gift wrapping to be done all around, and some finalizing of plans for the day to still take place, but I’m effectively ready for Christmas.

And I went to go get my tires checked, because I’m an adult, and it’s winter, and I’m trying to be somewhat responsible about things. My car is far more content with me now, though, since I bought an outdoor extension cord for the engine block heater. No more cold starts!

I’m rewarding myself by going to see The Hobbit: The Battle of Five Armies and having dinner with forgottenmoon after work, and then maybe drinks at home. Because again. Adult.

Winter Memories

I remember kneeling on the couch, arms resting on the back, staring out the picture window at the frozen landscape. I remember wishing we had a fireplace like my grandparents, so that I wouldn’t have to bundle up under blankets in the middle of a day like this. I would shiver and go to the room that my little sister and I shared, climb up to the top bunk, and shut off the overhead light. A small bedside lamp was all the illumination I would need to lose myself in one of my books, a favorite pulled from one of my many shelves.

After an hour or so, my little sister would inevitably come in and ask me to play outside. I’d reluctantly agree, because I knew it meant getting cold and spending time with her when I could be reading or drawing, but I would agree nonetheless. No matter how much I might have protested, I really did enjoy spending the time with her. I still do. We would get dressed in layers of clothes, including snow pants if we still had a pair that fit us.

We’d finish getting bundled up and wander out into the snow and ice, hoping that the snow was wet enough that it would be packable, allowing us to make snowballs at the very least. Snow angels would be made, should the snowfall be deep enough. If it were a really legendary Colorado blizzard, we’d have enough snow to make forts up against the base of the pine trees in the park. After a few freezing hours, we’d trudge back to the house. Mom would be there, and she’d help us make a couple of mugs of homemade hot chocolate, with marshmallows if we had them.

After that, it would be time for a movie or a game, depending on how tired we were. We would spend the rest of the evening in the living room until it was time to help get dinner ready. All too soon, our day of freedom would come to an end, and it would be time to eat and get things cleaned up before bed. Finally exhausted by our day, we allow sleep to overtake us and dream of the adventures yet to come.

The End of Winter

“The End of Winter”

Streetlamps on the far shore flicker in
And out of view as the snow accumulates
On the slick surface of the lake.

Moonlight filters through the dancing clouds,
Catching the flash of a fox’s tail
Vanishing into a trimmed hedge.

Embers glow in the fireplace, a dying
Reminder of the warmth we shared
Not an hour ago, now lost.

Stillness

There’s an incredible overwhelming
Silence that comes at 3 AM,
After the hum of the television
Dies. When the mind is free
To wander without the distractions
Of the day.

A stillness settles on the world,
Broken only by the soft scratch
Of a pen on paper.

Outside the darkness rests upon
The field of fallen white,
But the wind has passed,
And the storm is at an end,
And the fire is now but embers,
And in the fading light I strive
To make some memory of it all.

Let It Snow!

Winter has come to Westeros. I’m done with A Dance With Dragons. Now it’s time to work on some short fiction pieces that I’ve been playing around with in my head for the last couple of months, and move on to more books. Any recommendations? I’ve tried using this, but it’s only so-so when you read so much… Next up on my list are some of the following:

Inkdeath by Cornelia Funke (finishing the trilogy at last)

Brisingr and Inheritance by Christopher Paolini (see above)

The Black Company by Glen Cook

Shadow & Claw by Gene Wolfe (halfway done)

11/22/63 by Stephen King

Lord of the Flies by William Golding (rereading)

1984 by George Orwell (rereading)

Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury (rereading)

The Shining by Stephen King (rereading in advance of the release of the sequel, Dr. Sleep)

A Wizard of Earthsea by Ursula Le Guin

Snow Crash by Neal Stephenson

The Aleph and Other Stories by Jorge Luis Borges

There’s also this. It’s a new book called White Dove, and if the author’s name seems familiar, there’s a very good reason for that. It’s written by my fifteen year old cousin. I’m damn proud of her, albeit a little jealous that she got published before me. 😀

Winter has come to Colorado too. We’re finally getting some snow that’s staying on the ground for more than a few hours! This is kind of a big deal, people.

In winter, Colorado is basically Hoth

It doesn’t really actually mean all that much to me right now. I’m off of work for the next few days, unless I get called in to substitute for someone. In the meantime, I really should be looking for additional work, but there are so many things that demand for me to read them…seriously, it’s like an addiction. I can’t stop reading! That, and drinking Mountain Dew. And hopefully writing… Speaking of which, writing, that is, not Mountain Dew (though I realized the store had ten different varieties of Mountain Dew the other day, twelve if you counted the two diet flavors…), I found something that could come in very handy. If nothing else, I can use this for when I get into an argument with some gorbellied, motley-minded clack-dish:

For a more sophisticated way of saying "Your mother's a whore."

Goodnight!