cold magic
winter’s
heavy blue gloom
breeds ill under dark clouds
until startling white blankets fall
with cheer
short days,
where life craves light,
season’s noc comes too soon;
orange embers, imagined sun,
brings warmth
I walk
to the mail box
in swirling wind-flowers;
dainty dancing crystals grace eye
lashes
tunnels
arch across road,
a winter wonderland!
where moisture weaves its cold magic
snow globe
pine boughs
droop dreadfully
in clinging heavy snow
with evergreen resilience
in strife
winter,
where life craves light
in swirling wind-flowers;
where moisture weaves its cold magic
in strife
Notes:
1) garland cinquain form, which is a titled series of six cinquains in which the last stanza is formed from lines from the preceding five, typically line one from stanza one, line two from stanza two, and so on.
2) kigo used: blue gloom, short days, wind-flowers (nickname for snow found here,) winter night (written as season’s noc,) cold things (crystals and magic,) winter wonderland (Michigan is sometimes called A Winter Wonderland,) trees are heavy with snow
3) The music used with the video is by permission of Creative Commons. Information about the music:
FairyTale Waltz by Kevin MacLeod is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Source: http://incompetech.com/music/royalty-free/index.html?isrc=USUAN1100232
Artist: http://incompetech.com/
Colleen Chesebro is the host of TankaTuesday. Colleen says:
Your poetry writing invitation this week is to choose kigo words from a PAST season, OR work with the kigo words and phrases from the Early Cold challenge HERE.
I have also linked this up to dVerse’ Open Link Night, where Björn hosts.
Tao Talk 
Nice. I like snow as long as I don’t have to dig myself out of it! :-)
Yesterday and overnight, we finally got the first snow of the season. But with only 2 inches or so, it was nowhere close to what I assume is your area captured in the lovely video.
On the less pleasant side, the snow was followed by ice rain that added a coat of ice to everything. Fortunately, our township stood on top of the situation and kept the roads in decent condition.
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OH NO on ice coating your snow. That can be so hazardous to drive in, walk on, etc. Glad your township is good at keeping your roads safe.
Yes, that video is from today, we’ve probably gotten a foot so far and it keeps snowing. Took me awhile to clear the driveway yesterday and wondered if I’d be able to get out today after more snow and the plows going by. No probs at all, thank goodness.
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I love the trees hanging over!
We are basically stuck at home and I couldn’t be happier. I’m pretty sure we won’t be able to get out of here until Thursday and they are calling for snow again Thursday but not much.
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I do too, Max. That shot of the snow tunnel in the distance was magical. I cropped off the foreground, but it was way up ahead when I saw it. Had to stop the car. Happy you’re getting a chance to be snowed in. It’s a cozy feeling isn’t it.
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It does! I have to work but that is ok! It’s better than my office at work. I’m surrounded by my guitars here and Martha right beside me.
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<3 I bet Martha is loving having you home.
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She has stayed by me for the most part…Jennifer spoils her but she gets more attention from me.
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We got snow, power outages, fallen trees, breaking houses and more in four days. Now we’ll have ice storms throughout the night. Your poem is beautiful, Lisa. It’s fun to write the garland cinquin.
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Miriam, I am surprised you got all that where you live. Is that unusual for you there? We get all of it also but it is to be expected here.
Thank you on the poem <3 Yes it is fun to assemble it.
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You’re welcome, Lisa. The weather is getting strange here in Portland, OR. There were over 10 inches of snow last year. 💖
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OMG! I thought that corner of the country was protected by a special climate (forgot the name of the climate from when I took a geography class) but with Mother Nature getting confused after all of our meddling, it doesn’t surprise me as much :(
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I know, Lisa. We blame climate change. 🤔
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A very vivid picture of the cold weather Li.
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Thank you, yes it is :)
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🩵🤍❄️
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Very descriptive and interesting use of cinquain.
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Marie, thank you very much. I like how it turned out.
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Wow, Lisa. this is so beautiful. Garland cinquain, wow. You do these so well.
So snow like this, where icicles freeze on eyelashes is real. Perhaps you could use goggles for the trip to the mailbox? Or perhaps you enjoy it. In any case your poetry is always, always–lovely. Thanks.
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Selma, thank you for the high praise <3 The snowflakes don't freeze on the eyelashes (at least never have for me,) but when it gets really cold and the snow crunches, my nosehairs do! :)
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We’ve had our second snow of January. Followed by really cold temps – I think it got down to 9F last night. Most of the wind has knocked the snow off of our pines – and even though the streets have been plowed – we have a couple of inches of snow ‘on land’.
Snow flowers… I like that. Sometimes our snow just came like a solid fog, and other times a bit heavy. I’m sure many places are called winter wonderlands… that enjoy snow and know how to live with it :)
Lovely garland verse.
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Jules, glad it’s falling and glad you’re still able to move about. Also glad the wind blew the snow from your pines. Here we had a heavy snow that stuck to the pines then more accumulation. It’s really bad here for them but so far most look like they can make their limbs go vertical and can handle it.
Same here with the various types and dimensions of the snow. We definitely know how to handle snow here and many people do love it, and the ones who don’t often go south. I’m sure it’s the same where you are.
Thanks on the garland :)
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I had to go out for groceries today as another ‘snow’ event is on its way…
So I refilled feeders.
So far we haven’t had foot long icicles hanging from our roof! Its warm today – 27F (HA!).
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Glad you are feeling better, Jules. It’s 20 here and large, soft flakes are falling right now, no wind to speak of.
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Third snow of the month… we are supposed to get 2-4 inches. While some schools are closed others have ‘virtual classes’.
(I just spied a blue jay!)
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Still no snow in the far SW of England. I feel like we’re missing out.
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Glyn, wish I could send you some :) Be careful what you wish for, you could get slammed!
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I love the flow of thoughts through out the series of these cinquains. Brilliant imagery Lisa… white blankets! How ironic!
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Balroop, thank you very much. Snow actually makes a good insulator, believe it or not.
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I really like the idea of being inside a snowglobe. But not for too long! (K)
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haha!
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You’ve really created a beautiful picture here of a Michigan snowfall and the exciting part of winter. Really lovely.
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Luanne, happy you are pleased by it, thanks :)
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You’re welcome!
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Fabulous garland cinquain! I love “swirling wind-flowers,” what an amazing image. You really got hammered with snow. Your video was the perfect accompaniment to your poem! AMAZING! 🩷
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Colleen, thank you <3
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Beautifully cold and chilly!
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Thank you, Dwight, yes, it is!
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You are welcome.
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How incredibly beautiful! Does it take hours to create a poem of this complexity? Our city has for all intents and purposes shut down as of yesterday. Glare ice everywhere … I only wish I could walk to our mailbox. It would be suicidal.
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Oh wow, glare ice is a terrible menace. You need those spike things that slip over your shoes to walk on it. This poem didn’t take as long as the one(s) with Laura’s prompt with11-first lines during the year. What I did was write 5 of them, then rearrange them and tweak lines until the 6th one made sense.
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We finally had some snow this week, which didn’t last very long, but made me stay indoors, and then I saw something on the news about Michigan and I thought of you. I enjoyed your garland cinquain, Lisa, and love the thought of ‘cold magic’ and the assonance of ‘blue gloom’. These lines stand out for me:
‘short days,
where life craves light,
season’s noc comes too soon;
orange embers, imagined sun,
brings warmth’.
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Kim, so cool that Michigan made the news in the UK. Thanks for thinking of me, and glad you enjoyed the poem <3
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Beautifully done, Lisa.
I especially liked
“in swirling wind-flowers;
dainty dancing crystals grace eye
lashes”
You certainly got snow! After nearly two years without any snow, the 4 or so inches we got seems like a lot. At least it was snow, not the snow, sleet, and freezing rain we got a couple days before.
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Thank you, Merril. The sleet and freezing rain aren’t fun I’m sure. When it snows over that it can become really menacing for walking, driving, etc. The sun is actually shining right now, for the moment. Nice for it to visit.
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You’re welcome, Lisa!
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I love “swirling windflowers” and the “dainty dancing crystals” that “grace eye lashes” (I could feel that just reading it)
That clinging heavy snow has made me glad I keep a saw in my truck- had to cut wood a few times just to get to work earlier this winter. But it sure was pretty.
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D, do you live in an A-Frame? Where you were sitting for the live read it looked kind of like you do. Wow on the saw. The poor trees get beat up in winter. Ours are beleaguered right now. That heavy stuff if still clinging to them.
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Yes an AFrame. The reflections made it hard for you to see the mountain through the window. It was a summer camp but I’ve been living in it year round. I like it but it’s hard to hang pictures on the walls.
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D, in that place you don’t need pictures. You’re there! :)
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We have had that type of winter which I think is the only way I can bear the darkness…. now the thaw is coming (not the spring one… just depressing thaw)
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We’ve been lucky so far.
sunlight gleams
as grey parts to blue
yet winter holds
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Lisa, the progression to imagined warmth, swirling wind-flowers, and tunnels forming a winter wonderland is great! And I really like the repetition of “winter” and “in strife” <3
~David
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Thanks, David!
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So magical I might like this snow.☺️
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:) I just came back in from snow-blowing and I’m still smiling, which tells you yes, it is magical.
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Your imagery is just gorgeous, Lisa!
Yvette M Calleiro :-)
http://yvettemcalleiro.blogspot.com
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Yvette, many thanks <3
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Aesome poems Lisa :D I loved them all! Xo
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:) <3 xo
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