Icy Tears

Winter would stay forever if it could.

It's worked hard to establish itself,

building layers upon layers of ice and snow,

determined to become a permanent part of our landscape.

It's understandable then,
to see the long, sharp, icy tears of sadness

when warm winds blow in
and it must relinquish its grip.

Rings of memory,

frozen in time,

wait anxiously to be released

to rejoin the story of the seasons.

Stripped of Winter's decorations,

the forests are left dark and empty,

save for the icicles
that twinkle like haunted chandeliers,
a memory of happier times.

The ground swells with unfamiliar waters;

milky-grey and ice-cold,
not ready yet for life to begin.

Ice touches gold.

Winter and Autumn, old friends,
reunite for a brief moment.

Together they transform bare fields
into treasure-chests brimming with jewels.

In the same way Winter arrived,
it leaves us breathless, sparkling
with a beauty we won't forget.

And then, with one swoop of a wand

the seasons change. 

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.

Magic Is In The Air

Did you know that flowers exhale magic?

That their blooms light the air?

If you don't believe me,

give one a (gentle) shake

and watch the magic tumble out.

Wonderful Weeds!

Common Knapweed...

The name hardly does it justice.

Centaurea, it's proper name,

suits it much better.

It sounds like a secret

and hints at a history of magic and mystery.

This weed casts a spell on me

every spring.

Its long ghostly fingers

and shimmering colours

catch my eye

and draw me in

closer

and closer.

Fairy Tale Time

Mushrooms conjure up fairy tales for me.

So much magic in these

umbrella-topped imps.

The Snow Fairy

Be careful if you meet,

A fairy in the snow.

She'll cast on you a spell,

And never let you go.

She'll lure you far away,

To lands lost long ago.

Trapped in her fairy world,

It's all you'll ever know.

"Come faeries, take me out of this dull world,

for I would ride with you upon the wind..."

William Butler Yeats

Magic tumbles from a sorcerer's cup.

The fluted cups attached to this foxglove plant look as if they are pouring a magical liquid into the soil. I love the way the colour grows from pale and creamy to vibrant, party-pink.