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This week, we present responses to the challenge of Winter/18: Tell a story about your experience of winter in short, descriptive poetry or prose. Be original. Avoid clichés. The best will be selected for presentation by the Vermont Stage Company at its annual Winter Tales production in Burlington in December.
By the Fire
By Eden Anne Bauer
Age 14, Hanover
Winter is my favorite season.
I stay warm by the fire
with a cup of cocoa and watch
the snowflakes fall gracefully, dancing
with the flames.
Sometimes Nature holds her breath
and all is still; when I step outside, the silence
is only broken by the crunch of snow
under my feet.
Other times, the wind howls as a lonely wolf
lamenting the forlorn expression of the moon,
tearing at branches, scouring houses with sharp,
icy crystals, whipping across my face,
stinging my eyes, slashing ears and fingertips,
as I hurry home to safety from the storm.
The best time of all is when
the world pauses for a moment, though not
in anticipation, simply to ponder
its own existence.
Then sunbeams wave away the clouds
and shine upon the glittering gown
Nature creates for our land.
Big, soft, fluffy snowflakes begin to fall,
the damper kind better for making snowballs.
At first they’re hesitant, as only a few
venture down to the ground, but then
they rejoice in finding a peaceful world below,
and glide down to greet me all at once.
As the world outside is tucked in with
a thick snowy blanket, I
pull the covers to my chin,
turn out the light, and
watch the snowflakes dance on.
I fall asleep, and in my dreams
I’m still outside, dancing with them
through the night until we
stop to rest and watch the sunrise
turn to day.
I wish every night was this way,
beginning by the fire and
ending with the snow,
a blending of the heat and
freezing, icy cold.
These winter flames ignite my mind
and keep my heart warm,
sending a tingling sensation through my toes
as they remember the warm hearth, the cold floor.
The best part is waking up
to a winter wonderland, and having the wonderful day
and the wonderful dream
all over again.
To be presented at 7:30p.m. Wednesday, 12/12, at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theater, Burlington.
Snow Dawn
By Eleanor Konings
Age 13, Etna
Waking up
to the silent sound
of snowflakes twirling
to the ground.
It’s barely dawn,
with the sun rising
from its chambers
beneath the mountains,
the stars unwilling to dim
their short-lived light.
Yet the snowflakes mirror them,
drifting to fill the valleys
in a cold, crisp carpet.
Walking out
to the half-darkness of winter,
the beauty within the ice,
the sword within the stone.
Sensing the danger in the snow,
yet unable to pull away
from trees that seem to glow.
No one has ever been able to resist Winter.
It’s the right time for wonder.
If you’re going to take a plunge into mystery,
then waking up to snowflakes
falling outside your window
is, perhaps, the best way to do it.
To be presented at 7:30p.m. Thursday, 12/13, at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theater, Burlington.
A Quiet Winter Day
By Madeleine Thaxton
Age 12, East Thetford
The snow crunches softly beneath my boots as I trudge up the hill. Small delicate snowflakes land on my fuzzy hat. I tilt my head back to catch them in my mouth.
Out of the corner of my eye, a male cardinal dashes from tree to tree, his red feathers bright against the white snow.
When I get to the top of the hill, I pause to look around at the snow-covered trees, and listen to how peaceful it is.
Dropping my sled on the wet snow, I climb on and slide down the hill, going down easily on top of the smooth and icy snow. The cool wind is blowing on my face, and I am smiling to myself.
Winter makes me feel serene and content.
To be presented at 7:30 p.m. Friday, 12/14, at the Main Street Landing Black Box Theater, Burlington.