09 November 2011

Out of the Bosom of the Air

Snow Flakes
Out of the bosom of the Air,
Out of the cloud-folds of her garments shaken,
Over the woodlands brown and bare,
Over the harvest-fields forsaken,
Silent, and soft, and slow
Descends the snow.


{Fine Art Photography by CountryDreaming on Etsy}
Even as our cloudy fancies take
Suddenly shape in some divine expression,
Even as the troubled heart doth make
In the white countenance confession,
The troubled sky reveals
The grief it feels.

{Fine Art Photography from elgarboart on Etsy}

This is the poem of the air,
Slowly in silent syllables recorded;
This is the secret of despair,
Long in its cloudy bosom hoarded,
Now whispered and revealed
To wood and field.

~ Henry Wadsworth Longfellow


{Fine Art Photography by EyePoetryPhotography on Etsy}
 The skies delivered winter whites today, ready or not.

The first snow of the season usually consists of random tufts drifting down creeping in on kitten feet. Not so today. It is as if the skies were torn open and the clouds were shook loose of their heavy wet down. It looks a lot like that first picture out my window.

{'down comes the soft silent snow' snowflake simple truth pendant available on Etsy}
 When I was a teacher, you could always tell when it was about to snow. The kids were a great barometer. So on the first snowfall I would always abandon what I had planned for the day and focus on the snow. That way we could shift our focus to what they were thinking about anyway and maybe still learn a thing or two.

I would get out the white copy paper and tell them to come armed with their scissors. We would fold and snip and make a flurry of our own in the classroom (I am sure the janitor loved me ;-). Then we would take our favorites and afix them to a large piece of colored construction paper and write poems dedicated to snow. I loved that class activity. And even though I was teaching 7th graders, they really immersed themselves in the simple beauty of taking a plain piece of paper and carving it into life.

{'let it snow' snowman simple truth pendant available on Etsy}
 While I am not a huge fan of the many months of cold and ice and deep dark that the winter brings, I do celebrate the beauty of this day. But who knows? Tomorrow it could be 50 degrees and this could all be gone. Or it may not leave until April. Either way, I know that winter will break in the spring and I will be so much more grateful for the color to return to the earth because of this blanket of white. I think I will go and make some snowflakes with my kids tonight while I enjoy a big mug of hot cocoa with peppermint infused whipped cream. But only six-sided snowflakes.



11 comments:

moonlitfantaseas said...

I love the first snow fall of the year....I remember waking up knowing.....because of that other worldly glow my bedroom would have, racing to the window to confirm what I all ready knew in my heart, YES!!! it had snowed while I was asleep! I still get that little kid excitment when it snows for the first time of the year, I have to sneak a peek every time I pass a window, is it still snowing? I just love it....the first day!

ClickNCamera said...

The first snow always gave me the warm fuzzies inside! The last few years our winters have been anything but warm and fuzzy, and I started dreading the snow. (I even bought a snow blower this fall hoping it wouldn't be needed if I had one).

I'm now looking forward to the beauty of snow. I love the pendents too! Thanks!

mairedodd said...

well, i surprisingly saw my first snowflake of the season 2 days before halloween - but it was so out of place that i look forward to that first real snow fall... you have so much! and the new charms are adorable... but also tranquil...

Davinia said...

No snow here, just the dread of a very long hot summer, often with no relief in site for weeks at a time. I'm so thankful for AC and my new studio has a humdinger of an AC. Love the new pendants, especially the snowman.

Alice said...

I believe no one is ever too old to make a snowflake. We make them every year and tape them to our windows.

My daughter so wanted snow yesterday, but we were too far to the east to catch it.

I just love your snow and snowman Simple Truth Pendants--how adorable!

jessememan said...

I love these snowy photos! Your Simple Truth pendants are perfect for little snowmen! We had our freak October snow, now I want more...until it gets here :)

SummersStudio said...

This all takes me back to growing up in Northern Iowa. That first snow is often so beautiful. Something I looked forward to each fall. But it is so true that after months of a blanket of snow, the spring is so fresh and new in a way that you only realize when it's been hidden from you for months. I haven't had a winter like that in nearly two decades. Reading your words makes me think quite fondly about winter in the north. I love your winter pendants. They perfectly evoke that still quiet of winter.

Off the Beadin' Path said...

You certainly captured the feelings of that first snowfall! Beach-lover that I am, I gazed at your photos and pendants. Longfellow completed your story! A robin entertained us during the heavy blowing snow while hopping around in the flowering crab tree. The red berries really stood out against the white.

JeannieK said...

I could not imagine living in an area without snow. I love all the seasons. Makes me want to run out and make a snow angel.

stephanie_mcginley said...

Oh Erin, I think you found the perfect poetry to capture the beauty of the photographs in this post! I love it! The first snows of the season are usually the most beautiful!

I also didn't realize you were a teacher in a former life! ;) I teach reading to Kdg., 1st, 2nd and 6th grades by day, and work on my jewelry in my "spare" time...I love the idea of abandoning lesson plans and focusing on the snow...Maybe I should try that some day!

Take care!
Stephanie

SueBeads said...

Your pendants are so great, I love the snowman! Love the little video you provided too!

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