Day One

Image borrowed from Bing

Day One

There is a strange feeling of expectancy in the air.
Snow has dressed lanes and fields,
streams and woods in white garments,
and fence posts wear top hats.
The slate-grey blanket of snow-filled sky
hangs low over the hills,
if you look to it for warmth
you will be disappointed.
A biting wind drives snowflakes
like the shepherd herds his sheep.
all is white confusion, silent cold rattles my bones.
Carefully, I climb the icy stile into the lane.

As I leave the track that leads me
from the wood on the hill into the valley,
early dusk settles on hedges
and hangs in the trees lining the lane.
Below me lights appear in the gloaming,
it is teatime and the little houses prepare
for families to gather round the glow of the fire.

I reach my house and, as I enter,
the warmth of the range in the kitchen greets me.
I’ve already changed from boots into shoes
and dumped my sweet smelling,
green burden on the table in the shed.

I’ve been out to cut a large pile of pine branches
and twigs, up in the woods,
some with their cones still on them.
In the next few days they will be distributed
all over the house, bundled
into vases and other receptacles.
Soon the whole house will smell of Christmas.

Friko

Day One of Advent

Posted over on her site Friko's Musings