Midwinter Dreams of You

      

       My mother's prints of the Four Seasons by Currier & Ives hangs now in our living room. For as long as I can remember the prints hung behind my mother's couch in the living room where I grew up.  After she died my father remarried. I removed the prints without seeking permission. They had been and are an important part of the landscape of my life which began in December. 

    Winter when all plant life has gone to seed; dormancy and hibernation seem to be dominant themes. The potential for rest, recuperation and a focus on the contemplative self becomes real.  A time to reflect on the past year of growth and development. To count things lost or let go of, and think on that which has been gained. A time to count the years on planet earth and wonder at this thing called Being; the consciousness of sentient being and how that can be expressed. One winter I received the gift of a song which expresses this Wonder as longing.

Midwinter Dreams of You

Snow falls softly down,

Covers over frozen ground,

Trees like statues stand,

Sentinels in icy wind;

Midwinter dreams of you,

A longing hard to express,

Words always fail,

Can only suggest the tale;

In a cavern deep,

In white gown 

You never sleep,

Tucked beneath your breast,

The eternal flame 

You caress,

There it pulses and glows

Throughout the dark abyss,

For all who would be blessed,

For all who would bless;

Your warmth 

Spreads through the night

Bringing dreamers to the light;

Midwinter dreams of you,

A child quickening

 In the womb,

You're the only one 

The lover of all loves,

Yes, you're the only one,

The lover of all loves; 

            The poet Antonio Machado said, "What the poet is looking for is not the fundamental I but the deep you." 

Another important part of my growing up, my big sister Judith came to visit family over Thanksgiving.  She wanted to see where I walk. I took her to the spring and the giant cottonwood tree. Then took her picture on the bench with the Camus quote.

 I created a Walk-With-Me Video, a form of meditation on that transformative magic of winter when the snow coats every branch and tree. The video includes background music as I finger pick the chords to Midwinter Dreams of You. No singing. Just the shared experience of walking to the spring through the conservancy and back. Leaving the inside where the print hangs to venture out and back again to where our small Christmas tree with lights brightens our living room. In the video: Look for the tree brought down by the heavy snow. Look for the deer. Listen for the Blue Jay. Listen to the sound of my feet as I walk through crunchy snow. Join me in the moment. Join me in the serenity of wonder. 

            Winter is a way of knowing.  Thank you my friends for sharing your life's journey through the sorrows and joys as we live this mystery of being!  

            Anthony G. Hendricks, author, poet, nature lover -- naturally;  Buddha Blues, just published with a great cover created by his Sister Judith; available at Amazon as print on demand or as an e book at Amazon or Kobo. With formatting help on cover and interior by Woven Red. Other books The Wasteland Revisited, a book length poem about the dystopia causing global warming; available as an e book at Amazon; A Journey In The Human Dilemma, collected poetry and prose; trade paper back.