First Snow

They slowly fall
Like gentle whispers
Upon the ears of leaves
Still clinging to threadbare trees.

The white flakes gather
Covering last season’s soil,
Blanketing the ground
Of our mud mired mistakes.

Within the growing darkness,
Their cold beauty sparkles
Speaking of new possibilities,
Before these fleeting moments melt.

With the excitement of children
Pulling on boots and strangled by scarves,
I rush outside with ghosting breath
To catch a whisper upon my tongue.

Moving from a place that rarely gets snow (the Phoenix Valley of Arizona) to a place that can get a lot of snow (Michigan), makes the first flakes of the season very exciting. Watching my kids struggle with all of their gear to get outside reminded me of when I was young. How fun it was to catch those first flakes!

The kids talked about all the possibilities of winter — sledding, snowpeople, snow ball fights, hot cocoa — and I was struck with how each season brings new ideas and things to do. I also watched how the snow covered a bare spot in the lawn, and mused how all of this new excitement covers up and changes things left from the last season.

I hope this one resonates with you — even if the coming winter isn’t your favorite thing!

As always, thanks for reading.