Winter Feathers

Hope is the thing with feathers

That perches in the soul

And sings the tune without the words

And never stops at all

And sweetest in the gale is heard

And sore must be the storm

That could abash the little Bird

That kept so many warm

I've heard it in the chillest land

And on the strangest sea

Yet, never, in Extremity

It asked a crumb of me.

~ Emily Dickinson ~

Although the sun's heat is far away

The little birds that flit through the coldest days of winter

Keep me happy and warm.

Gone To Seed

Seeds are marvellous mini-miracles.

To look at them, one would never suspect

that inside each tiny package,

a seed,

dry and wrinkled,

some no bigger than a grain of sand,

Could contain the power of

Transformation!

If you didn't witness it with your own eyes

would you believe it at all?

To begin this transformation

the plant must first come

completely undone.

It drops this gift-wrapped,

blueprint of itself

to the ground

Where it must remain

buried deep

in the dark

earth

Until the light

calls it back

to life

Miracles occur in the most unlikely places.

~

There are more miracles

in a square yard

of earth

than in all the fables

of the world.

Onward To October

October began today with a quick change of weather

plunging us instantly into Autumn.

At the end of last month,

we were equally awed and spooked

by a Blood Moon caused by the lunar eclipse

on September 27th.

Since then, we have been treated,

nightly,

to glowing red skies and

sunsets,

with such a profound glow

that their colours seep into my windows

drawing my eyes, like a magnet,

to the sky.

Even the flowers,

long since having lost their petals

but eager to join in the celebrations 

have taken to catching the last light of day

in their seedy legs

causing all kinds of eerie patterns

for me to capture.

For now, I'm enjoying every red moment :)

And before we know it,

Halloween will be here!

Seed Of Dreams

Milkweed seeds send my imagination into flight.

It must be their soft white hairs

and the way they cling to their mother's shell

as they dance with every passing breeze.

They remind me of children.

As a parent,

I can't help but see

the caramel-coloured husk

as a home,

with all the children tucked safely inside,

protected from the harshness of the weather.

It will take a determined gust of wind

to finally pull them free.

They'll soar into the sky,

giddy with their freedom,

sparkling in the sunlight,

on their way to new opportunities.

The parent's job is done.

Remember,

we gave them wings

so they can fly.

November

Each month has its own beauty

Do You Believe?

It's true,

what they say...

People who don't believe in fairies will never find them.

Here's your chance.

Look closely at the photo above.

Can you spot it?

Most of us will see this,

truly magical in every way,

Maple seeds ready to unfurl their soft green wings.

But,

for those who hold magic deep in their hearts,

who continue to light the spark

that turns the

Ordinary

 into the

Extraordinary

You will see
Maple Forest Fairies

rising from the forest floor,
wearing long, golden caps.

Where there's one,

there's many more.

Let's join them

as they laugh and dance and sing,

for they know

it's time

to celebrate

Spring!

Ice Diamonds

Although it doesn't seem possible, we received another huge snowfall yesterday.

Earlier, before the storm hit, the sun came out and with it

I felt the gentle touch of spring.

Here are my favourite clematis seed-heads wearing ice diamonds,

whose beauty is both rare and ephemeral.

"They say diamonds are forever,

Yes forever and a day,

But if diamonds are forever,

Then they must be here to stay.

I think love will live forever,

Way beyond forever's day,

It's not diamonds as eternal,

No matter what they say.

Diamonds are a fleeting fancy,

As soon they will be gone,

But if love is your true diamond,

It will ever linger on.

So if you are seeking diamonds,

And I know you always will,

Then just find the kind of diamonds,

That your life,

with love,

will fill.

"Diamonds are Forever"

By: W. Diane Van Zwol