First Ice & Other

Yes the temperature was +10° this morning at 7am. I should have trickled water in the sink overnight but the heat tape on the outdoor pipes did its job.

I expect that we'll be really socked in after the snow that is predicted for Thursday and Friday.

 

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The cabin holds sturdy arms around me.

It is permanence.

It is safety.

It is sanctuary.

It is Tranquillity.

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One of my long ago writings....

Survival or defeat? 

I wish I could remember what prompted this one!

Finale - Complete Piece

In tattered sweater with holes and pins, she hobbles

   from her bed,
The fire is low, she must get coal, it’s out there in the shed.
Her eyes peep through the crusty glass, they see 

   their distant goal…
It once was near but now it’s far, offends her weary soul.
Her man is gone, a fine man too, he used to gather wood.
She does her best to carry on, for once, her life was good.
The milk was sweet, the sun was warm, her children —

  how they grew!
They’ve left her now, the fondest things, she’s bid them all adieu.
But back to now—with daily chores to wear her strength away,
She must get coal to warm her bones, to live another day.
With strong determination to reach her destination,
The woman struggles on with legs of lead
Through ice and snow, Oh! Lord! the coal is gone!
Her muddled mind can’t comprehend that the final hour’s near.
It just can’t be! She’s ready though…
She’s waited all this year.

By Geraldine, November 1977