Winter Haiku: Continuedby Charles de Lint |
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2003January 1New Year dawns crisp and clouded; look through the cold light for new roads to take January 4A thin, steady snow still builds into drifts, and blurs all the edges smooth January 5Digging out after a snowfall, the winter calm's undone by snowplows How the heart lifts: step out of the shopping mall, see the trees full of crows January 6Why do they say snow doesn't; it floats, drifts, falls, or blizzards January 10Bright sunlight shocks the eyes and brings a bitter cold; winter in earnest January 12Dig out the old car, scrape off the ice, what do you know—it starts right up January 13Long after midnight, in the streetlamp—lit snow, a rabbit forages January 17Moonlight rides like a ghost across the midnight snow; its song is silence January 18In this bitter cold, everyone walks ike turtles in their parka shells January 19Of what do they dream, the mice in their long tunnels under the snow drifts? January 24You can't trust the sun this time of year;it's bright light holds a bitter cold January 25Snow falls thick, crow cries, squirrels in the trees; white cat peers through the window January 31Looking for sign—tracks in the snow: rabbit, squirrel, cat...hmm, post lady February 1Snow falls thick, a deep white skin that blankets the ground and smooths sharp edges February 2All down the backyards, cedar and snow fashion a joyful winter hush January 4Winter rain: new creeks flow along the curbsides and the snow is drowning February 5Winds rocked the house last night; this morning a frozen world greeted the sun January 6You can tell when the weather informs a life: it's all we write about January 7Little cat looking out the window for rabbits, sees only the snow February 8Green men and black crows, frame my window; through it, yes, I still see the snow February 13Twin patterns: branches against the sky, their shadows on the snow below February 18Grey February skies have so little colour, the crow up high seems blue-black February 24Crow lands on a roof peak, shakes out his wings; a thick hush of snow below February 25Outside MaryAnn's window: the branches are full of sleeping squirrels March 2Snow and still more snow; the sky hangs low, the boughs are heavy with its weight March 4Crouched in the stormy sky, his mane encrusted with ice: the lion of March March 12Squirrels in the cedars, sun high, dripping icicles— like spring's in the air March 13Somewhere under these great piles of snow,the flowers of spring lie dreaming March 25Dirty snow and grey skies, bare-limbed trees and drizzling rain; but the spring birds sing March 26A familiar landscape stands revealed as the the snow melts away March 28Windy day, blowing dust and leaves across the dirty fields of snow and streets April 6Cat tiptoeing along the top of the fence: circus act on this frosty morn November 14Blowing snow, ice and way too much wind: we're never ready for winter November 29Woke up to winter winds and blowing snow—our whole world now cold and white Carnival for crows: blown sideways through the sky by gusts of winter wind December 1Bright sunlight in the middle of a snowstorm; can't spot the snowbow December 8As dusk falls, Christmas lights wake and twinkle all through the neighbourhood streets December 15Caught in a blizzard between one Fred show and the next: winter's back now December 16If I had an old red truck, I'd park in the snow, beam to see it glow December 21Overnight, nature tucked in the fields and woods with a new blanket of snow December 23Still raining; when this freezes up, we'll just be a slipping and sliding December 28Enfolding the ground, the snow's like ice,and all the trees are rimed with frost December 29More rain under dark grey skies; squirrels in the snow, wet crows in the trees | ||||||||
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