After a long, dark and cold winter’s night
the black tin roof of my neighbor’s house
has a couple of inches of fresh powder snow,
a surreally even blanket of virgin softness
where the sun’s brightness mingles with blue shadows.
So unreal the surface looks; hypnotizing, captivating,
tenderly forcing me into a meditative state.
No hurries, no worries, no sorries are felt
as I stare at this midwinter’s timeless, priceless wonder
as if it were sending a greeting, a message of some kind.
Staying in the golden moment feels so fine, so inviting,
all beginnings, ends and destinies, it seems, are included.
On this blanket more than a million shiny diamonds are sewn:
the sunshine hits some crystals, more blessed than the others,
caressing them with extraterrestial energy at zero Fahrenheit.
Composed in February 2012 in Helsinki, Finland
Recited publicly on March 15, 2017 at Café ZamZam in Ekenäs, Finland
Photo: Kevin Stewart