As if I had Wings

Quiet Wonderful World

Snow is a wonderful thing.  It makes us all slow down.  It's a beautiful day here in Massachusetts if you love snow, which I do!  The thing about a snow storm is it makes us slow down to a snail's pace. The road outside my building is covered with snow instead of cars.  It's snowing and snowing and snowing, and I love it!  We got about 17 inches here in Melrose, and I am so excited!  I can't get my car out of the community parking lot because it hasn't been plowed yet, so if I need to get out, it will be on foot.  These sorts of days are great because all of a sudden I like walking for miles.  If it snowed everyday, I'd walk everywhere!  

I love snow days because the world has stopped.  My friends tell me that the only business open in town is Dunkin Donuts.  Of course, it's New England, so Dunkin's has to open!  Once the wind and snow settle down this afternoon I have big plans.  Big plans to get out and enjoy the freshness of fallen snow.  I've got my snowshoes at the ready, so I'll be snowshoeing my way over to the park to get some pictures.  I love walking around my town in the snow.  Everyone seems friendlier and the world is clean.

Quiet Wonderful World by me
The brisk wind 
hits my skin
and wakes me up.
Snow falls 
the ground accepts its new apparel.
The world is pure again
for just a few hours
until the storm stops.
Quiet 
wonderful 
world.
My wish is for more snow.

Until the world opens up again, you'll see me out in the snow, or home under my comforter reading this...

Inspiration

Sarah Von over at Yes & Yes had Mary Oliver's Summer Day up today, and it got me to thinking about my favorite Mary Oliver poem. Thank you Sarah for the inspiration!

This poem makes me think about getting up off the couch to do anything about which might be procrastinating:

• About getting my life on the track I want it to be. 
• About losing the weight. 
• About applying to school. 
• About getting my papers done. 
• About saving my money towards my down payment for my dream house. 
• About writing that next short story. 
• About asking that guy out for a drink.

The Journey

One day you finally knew

what you had to do, and began,

though the voices around you

kept shouting

their bad advice--

though the whole house

began to tremble

and you felt the old tug

at your ankles.

"Mend my life!"

each voice cried.

But you didn't stop.

You knew what you had to do,

though the wind pried

with its stiff fingers

at the very foundations,

though their melancholy

was terrible.

It was already late

enough, and a wild night,

and the road full of fallen

branches and stones.

But little by little,

as you left their voices behind,

the stars began to burn

through the sheets of clouds,

and there was a new voice

which you slowly

recognized as your own,

that kept you company

as you strode deeper and deeper

into the world,

determined to do

the only thing you could do--

determined to save

the only life you could save.

© Mary Oliver

I'm off to start saving my own life - how about you?  Any plans to save yours?  Share!