Shades of White

Finding Peace in Beauty

I took a walk at dusk.

Pushing myself

To pull on boots and gattors

Down coat

Warm hat

Camera over my shoulder

 

I walked through deep snow

Around the pine trees

To the top of the field.

And then...

 

There Is Only Today

Sunrise

Days

There are days when I would like to go back

Go back to childhood simplicity

Back to when I was not responsible

Not always in charge

``

Summer days were lazy days

Vacation meant curling up with good books

Winter included lots of time on the ice rink

snowmen and angels

``

My home always calls to me

The work is never done

Voices let me know

No one emptied the dishwasher

The jeans have not been washed

The cats have not been fed

The stove is getting cold

Dinner needs to be made

The house is cluttered

The van is dirty

The children need to be somewhere

The lights have been left on

``

I am responsible to do it

Or oversee the one who does

``

Perhaps in my old age

I will have fewer voices calling to me

But will I like that?

Or will I feel lonely,

Unnecessary?

``

Perhaps it is time

To embrace where I am

There is no perfect time

There is only today

"Be content with such things as you have..."

Winter

It has been such a cloudy and dreary day today that I did not even try to go out with my camera. The sky and ground now merge together in Shades of White; the barn cats want inside and the birds are busy at my bird feeder. Instead of a photo today, I will once more post the poem where the title of my blog originated--it is the view from my window as I see it today.

Blessings to you all.

Shades of White

 

The stillness of a landscape draped in the silence

of an early morning snow...

The sky and earth blend in shades of white

Bringing all that I can see from my window

into uniform serenity.

 

A snow-covered world is a balm that penetrates

bone and marrow, soul and spirit.

My soul is set free in quiet song.

It brings to us a time of rest.

 

Lay down the great burden of hurried life;

Step lightly onto the stage. The room is silent, empty.

Laugh and cry; dance. Unveil the depths within.

It is time to be set free.

                                                                        

                                                                            ~Jean in Wisconsin

Haiku

A heart lies heavy

Melancholy emptiness

—Winter of the soul

 

Longing for wholeness

The spirit is hushed by faith

Long watches and waits

 

The promise of spring,

Verdant and pregnant with life,

Will certainly come

            ~Jean in Wisconsin

Shades of White

 

The stillness of a landscape draped in the silence

of an early morning snow...

The sky and earth blend in shades of white

Bringing all that I can see from my window

into uniform serenity.

 

A snow-covered world is a balm that penetrates

bone and marrow, soul and spirit.

My soul is set free in quiet song.

It brings to us a time of rest.

 

Lay down the great burden of hurried life;

Step lightly onto the stage. The room is silent, empty.

Laugh and cry; dance. Unveil the depths within.

It is time to be set free.

                                                                        

                                                                            ~Jean in Wisconsin

 

Embrace Life

Click on this photo and look at this fuzzy boy's tongue.

It is snowing again. Six to eight inches are predicted. We really need this, you know.

:):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):):)

Put on a smile.
Give someone a hug.
Do something nice
For someone you love.

Forgive a mistake;
Forget what was done.
Learn a new song,
And dance in the sun.
        ~~Jean in Wisconsin

 

The Song Within

It is easier to listen
To the song of the soul
When the room is silent.

The inner chatter
Will die away
If at the end of the day,
When the body is weary,
The mind is left
To its own pursuits.

What is left
Is the song within
Which lies below
The surface of life.

At times
It is fretful;
Other times
It is tranquil.

It is good, very good,
When the soul sings,
Quietly contented,
Bubbling up gently,
Joyful and carefree,
At peace
With its Creator.

    Jean in Wisconsin

Sleepy Snuggles

Mama Kitty and Ruffy

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

New calves
Mud, lots of mud
Frisky kitten evening hours
Tree blossoms covering the deck
Green: deep, lush, shocking-green grass
Chatter, caw, screech, chirp--the trees are full of them
Donkey, rolling around in the pasture, hooves flailing in the air
Bulbs, long dormant, now grow green and bloom
Neighboring Tom cats come roaming
Sun rises early and sets late
Small stalks of rhubarb
Thunderstorms
Spring

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

What does spring mean to you?

Jean

Comfort Zone

Scholarship essays.
Editing, proofing, rewriting.
Beating the deadline.
Creative, hopeful.

William of Orange.
Skittish, wiry, silky.
Finding refuge high above.
Funny kitty.

Bedtime.
Yawning, reading,  dozing.
Closing up the house.
G'night.

Beauty.
Twilight, starlight, earthshine.
Watching Venus set.
Night sky.

Sweet dreams,
Jean