Saturday Haiku: Cold Winter Days

on cold winter days

a soft light and a warm hearth

bring peace to the world

________________________
Photo by Bill Munson: a view of downtown Franklin, TN taken from the Public Square (found on Facebook)


-

Saturday Haiku: Snowdrift

 

digging out
in dead of winter
snow abounds

____________________________

Image: "Happy Holidays" (This image was used on the back of the album, "A Swingin' Christmas" featuring Tony Bennett and various vocal artists)

Artist; Tony Bennett (Antony Benedetto)*

*Last August, the legendary Tony Bennett announced his retirement from performing at the age of 95. His career has spanned eight decades. Famous for his singing career, he has also had a passion for painting. Today's post is part of a series of haiku inspired by Mr. Bennett's artwork (when he paints, he uses his given name, Antony Benedetto).

-

Saturday Haiku: Snowstorm

lone pilgrim walking
in a hindrance of snowfall
bare branches swaying

______________________________

Image: "Central Park Snowstorm"

Artist; Tony Bennett (Antony Benedetto)*

(This painting by Tony Bennett was for the American Cancer Society Christmas Card for 2013)

*Last August, the legendary Tony Bennett announced his retirement from performing at the age of 95. His career has spanned eight decades. Famous for his singing career, he has also had a passion for painting. Today's post is part of a series of haiku inspired by Mr. Bennett's artwork (when he paints, he uses his given name, Antony Benedetto).

-

Saturday Haiku: Winter Day

a low-hanging sun

casts long shadows in the snow

a stillness of trees

_______________

Photo: "Winter Solstice" from The Old Farmers Almanac



-

Saturday Haiku: Stillness

trees stand shadow-less

cold overcast winter day

the earth finds stillness

___________________________

Image: " Chicago, Trees in Snow," 1950, The Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Harry Callahan, American, 1912-1999
Medium: Photography - gelatin silver print



-

A Word about Snowfall Down South

Southern Snowfall

         

It was one of those rare days

When all the conditions were right

And a bright soft snow fell

All day long.

Everything was covered in beauty.

Unneeded activity came to a halt.

No hurry.

A wonderful quiet in the city.

All is well.

It will last a day (two at the most)

Then there will be mud and slush

And life as usual.

Once, while attending Midnight Mass,

I suddenly saw that everyone was aglow.

A subtle light from within

Revealed wonder in every person,

Joy in every action.

Everything was covered in beauty

And I was completely connected

(Not the usual outsider).

No doubt that all shall be well.

Life returned to normal after a day (two at the most)

Except I carried with me the realization

That what was seen only for an instant

Is always true,

Even while life goes on as usual.

                                                   ~ CK

-

Saturday Haiku: Winter

quietly the land

with snow-laden trees awaits

the lone bird in flight

_______________________

Image: The Road in front of Saint-Siméon Farm in Winter, 1867
Artist: Claude Monet (French, 1840-1926)
Medium: Oil on canvas
Public Domain, courtesy of I Require Art


-

Saturday Haiku: Blossoms in the Snow

blossoms which herald

the bright promises of spring

sometimes wait in snow

            

                                                                                                           ~ CK

___________________
Japanese Garden in Snow ~ Bunkyo Ward, Tokyo.
Photo by tokyobling


-

Saturday Haiku: Cold Winter

on cold winter days

a soft light and a warm hearth

bring peace to the world

________________________
Photo by Bill Munson: a view of downtown downtown Franklin, TN taken from the Public Square (found on Facebook)


-

Saturday Haiku: Winter Dusting

a light winter snow

dusting leaf and limb under

the low restful sky

                      ~ CK

______________________________
Photo by Charles Kinnaird



-

Saturday Haiku: First Snow

  

a dark forest path

lightened by winter’s first snow

a cathedral view

                            ~ CK

________________
Photo: Snow, Sherwood Pines
Credit: Lynne Kirton
From the Geograph Project, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons 


-

Saturday Haiku: Snowfall

     Softly falling snow:

          quiet blanket of beauty

          brings transient calm.

                                  ~ CK

________________

Photos: Near Springville, Alabama
Credit: Joe Songer at Al.com 


-

Surprised by Snow

I mentioned when posting the "White Christmas" entry on Christmas Eve's "Songs for Christmas" that down here in the deep South, we never have a white Christmas. Well, we were surprised to see the white stuff falling all day on Christmas Day. It started out to be a dreary rainy drizzle in the early morning, but by mid-morning we were seeing lager snowflakes coming down. By early afternoon, it was actually accumulating on the grass.

Snow on Christmas in Alabama can generate some excitement! The local paper had photos in this morning's edition, and many people sent in there snow photos to WBRC FOX6, a local TV station. The pictures you see here were taken from the FOX6 website.

This was a first for me - to actually see snow coming down on Christmas Day!

Songs for Christmas: White Christmas

Having grown up in the South, I've never known a white Christmas. As children, we would always hope against hope for snow because all those images from story books and the movies associated snow with Christmas. Bing Crosby was one who gave us many songs for Christmas, perhaps the most notable was "White Christmas," written by Irving Berlin. It was first recorded in 1942, then was used in the movie, Holiday Inn starring Bing Crosby and Fred Astaire.

The version that has become popular was a second recording that Crosby did in 1947. As a child, I remember my grandmother commenting on how she loved to hear Bing Crosby sing the song. The fact that she loved it, plus the perennial wish for snow, probably influenced my own affection for the song.






*

Snow Days

We didn't get snow at my house today, in spite of the earlier predictions. We had some flurries - at times there was lots of white stuff in the air - but nothing on the ground. Here are two reflections on past snow days in Alabama - one humorous and one serious:


Stopping by Publix on a Snowy Evening
(with apologies to Robert Frost)

Whose shelves these are I think I know
He lives in a corporate village though;
He will not mind me stopping here
Among his aisles well-stocked for snow.

My little truck will have to suffice
Parked out on that sheet of ice
Between the store and busy street
In weather that comes but once or twice.

It gave a little sputter out there
As if to show machines can swear.
Other sounds include the sweep
Of people's footsteps as they hoard their share.

The shelves now look empty, wide, and deep,
But I have milk and bread to keep,
And videos to watch before I sleep,
And videos to watch before I sleep.




Southern Snowfall

It was one of those rare days
When all the conditions were right
And a bright soft snow fell
All day long.
Everything was covered in beauty.
Unneeded activity came to a halt.
No hurry.
A wonderful quiet in the city.
All is well.
It will last a day (two at the most)
Then there will be mud and slush
And life as usual.

One Easter at midnight mass
I suddenly saw that everyone was aglow.
A subtle light from within
Revealed wonder in every person,
Joy in every action.
Everything was covered in beauty
And I was completely connected
(Not the usual outsider).
No doubt that all shall be well.
Life returned to normal after a day (two at the most)
Except I carried with me the realization
That what was seen only for an instant
Is always true,
Even while life goes on as usual.



***