The whale sang,
But I was tone-deaf;
The leopard snarled,
So I ran away;
The wolf howled,
And I closed the gate.
The elephant trumpeted,
The tiger roared,
And the gorilla
Beat his chest,
But I knew not any
Of their languages.
Sadly, I turned around
And looked at the world,
And man’s place in it.
Unexpectedly, a tear
rolled down my cheek,
And suddenly,
I understood them all.
Together, they cried
Out in one loud voice,
“Save us! Save us!”
the snow cobras lift
their heads from the drifts
with their hoodies to keep
them from freezing,
and pythons get heat
from the bunnies they meet,
with their snuggling
and hugging and squeezing.
now, out on the lakes,
men tie racer snakes
under their boots
to go skating,
and wolf snakes at night
are a hair-raising sight
when they howl at the moon
before mating.
(orig. posted 2/18)
winter rain turns bare
bushes into exquisite
crystal chandeliers
–photo by me
Don’t drive on the new snow, they said,
So I walked for my safety instead,
But the slippery ground
Spun completely around,
And it walloped me upside the head.
you’re the rare part of
the universe that can speak–
don’t embarrass it
I thought I would finish out the year with a shot of one of my diamond willow walking sticks, Caduceus. I love working with diamond willow; its easy to carve and has a mix of beautiful grains. I usually give them away; I like carving as a hobby, not a money-making chore.
Also, I’d like to add this disclaimer concerning any and all resolutions I may foolishly spout circa New Year’s Eve:
The resolutions
I may make
Are unabashedly
All fake;
There’s not a chance
That they will take,
But what the heck–
They’re fun to break!
Happy New Year!!
–Photo by me
I once chased the sun
to escape the dark of night–
but I was a fool;
when the dark overtook me,
I finally saw the stars!
–photo by me
At Christmastime
The sun is near
Its lowest high point
Of the year
And every Christmas
Without you
I’m at my lowest
High point too
–Photo by me
I’m out for a hike in the woods on this frosty December morning. It’s about twenty below (F) out here, so I’m quite encumbered with layers of clothing. It gives it all a surreal feeling, like I’m walking on the moon.
The snow under my feet makes the same crunching sound as my corn flakes did earlier. My breath freezes instantly on my beard.
I feel sorry for the deer and other animals out here that have to endure this cold for months to come. I know they have winter coats, but so do I, and I’m freezing already!
I crunch my way along, wondering how snakes could possibly survive this.
***
when out in the snow
at twenty below, even
your shadow turns blue
–Photos by me
a reclusive crow
doesn’t want to be any
part of a murder
–photo by me
michaeljordahl 