Snow has always refreshed my palette.
Like a thorough washing of my prejudices
Or a complete cleansing of my misunderstandings,
It always seemed to be a sheet of singularity.
Today, I will receive a lesson from
Snow;
One that I have learned a dozen times.
This new learning will be different:
More visceral, intrepid, and intractable.
For every human being, reality offers a myriad of
Clear teachings.
But we are not always so receptive.
Instead, the ephemeral imagination
Is often far more convincing.
That imaginative ephemera was today’s
Gift.
And I was about to receive it.
As it happened,
When the snowfall offered its usual
Invitation to the outdoors, I accepted.
Immediately, I knew this morning was different.
It was early;
Winter pre-dawn.
The only light was from the recently full moon.
In this ungarish, reflected light
Its true colors were not white.
Instead, I saw hues of cyan
With soft hints of magenta
And something yellowish:
At first I thought it might be golden,
But as my eyes adapted in the dim moonlight,
It turned out to be more
The color of piss and vinegar.
Instead of driving its point home too hard,
The moon shifted
And the blues took over again;
As ever, the palette had a sense of honesty.
In that shift, I was reminded to look
Again.
Anchored everywhere in the
Blanket of snow are the bold
Signs of leaves:
True golden,
Red, and
Vibrant yellow.
And the soil, the very ground of our
Being
Peaks through everywhere,
Showing the beauty of
Black and brown.
~ a poem by Stan Stewart
~ Copyright ©2017 by Stan Stewart and muz4now, inc. All rights reserved.
“The ground of being is the ground of our being, and when we simply turn outward, we see all of these little problems here and there. But, if we look inward, we see that we are the source of them all.” ~ Joseph Campbell
* All photos (including the one used as a background for the quote) were taken by me during the walk in the snow referenced in the poem.