2013/2014  Winter Inspirations

Winter

People tend to love or hate Winter                                          

One dreams of a winter wonderland

Another conjures a cold barren wasteland

Says the Winter-lover : What a beautiful sight !

Trodden grass snowed sparkling white

Snow-capped slopes shining bright

If you don’t fancy venturing outdoors

Snuggle at home under warm quilts on your bed                                                                 whether you wish to sleep or stay wide awake

between the covers of an interesting book

Winter is the season to stay undercover

Winter is loved for snowflakes

marshmallows, candied apples and fruitcakes

Iced wines, turkeys and minced pies

Mistletoes, kisses and  sparkling eyes

In churches Winter is the season of mirth

Celebrating, rejoicing the Christchild’s  birth

But let not in the midst of merriment  forget

In the world there’s poverty and death

One day surprised was I to espy a church car-park full

Despite it being not a Sunday and some weeks before Christmas

Only to sadly discover in progress a funeral service

In our town’s local newspaper I also read

an old homeless man suffered frostbite and was found dead

No funeral service for the old beggar was held

Not many knew the guy so the paper said

But guess what surprise issued from that news report?

A kind and generous man phoned to donate a coffin

May God Bless this compassionate giver

And grant the departed soul rest in peace forever

This indeed is the Good News and the True Spirit of Christmas!

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Canada and USA are currently experiencing a severe winter reported to be the coldest and worst in thirty years.  A couple of weeks back we hit lows in the region of minus 34  degrees fahrenheit. Thank God it was down to that level only in the early morning hours when most people are privileged and blessed with slumber and as I said staying warm “under-cover”.  This is a reminder to count our blessings and not forget the many homeless and families who have limited means and are struggling to put bread on the table daily  – not to mention having heat and hot-water which we the majority frequently take for granted.

I’ll end this blog with a few short lines that just now popped into my head as I stared out of my window and felt it pretty much sums up my present mood this day and reflects why I’m looking forward very much to fly in a week’s time to warm sunny Singapore to see again friends and family especially this time to hold and hug my new grand-daughter Emily who is just turning “one-month old !” 

Let It Snow?

Snow, snowing

Beautiful soft snow

But hard work shoveling

I see some squirrels scurrying

Fur fluffed white in shiny snow flurry

They put me to shame when I refuse to budge
Just because I’ve to trudge through sludge
or when I just sit and sulk
Lamenting : “Snow, snow !
Everywhere snow
Nowhere to go !”

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