Ice Castles on A Winter's Day: A Series of Haikus

One cold afternoon

Long before spring and its blossoms,
We find a treasure.

Deep in the city,

We behold structures, made of pure cold,

Held together with ice.

A castle fantasy dropped

Into the middle of a

Dreary winter's day.

Lovers and children
Equally delighted, walk

Mitten on Mitten.

Strangers smile in joy,

Offering to shoot portraits

On each other's phones.

Pure camerderie:

Sharing this moment of magic 

We did not expect.

It's a hidden treasure 

In this dusty muddy town ...

Time stands completely still.

We feel as though we

Could stay forever, caught up in

A frozen fairytale. 

Do you ever get into a rut? I know it's very easy to do, but last month, my husband and I broke out of our rut by doing something completely different.  For a belated Valentine's Day date, we visited Ice Castles! 

I had seen pictures of similar structures, mostly from Europe, but never knew they were available locally. When I saw some friends posting gorgeous images on Facebook, I was intrigued and then thought, "what an amazing idea for Valentines' Day!" 

These are  some shots I took of these magical structures. At first, I wasn't sure if might be "too girly" for my masculine husband to enjoy but my worries were unfounded. He loved it as much as I did. 

I absolutely loved seeing the genuine smiles on everyone's faces. Just being there seemed to open people up and total strangers were all offering to take photos of each other. It was really moving. 

About the Poems

The week's poem this week is actually a series of haikus. Even if you aren't a student of literature, there is a chance you are familiar with form of poetry because almost every North American child ends up writing a haiku at one point in their school career!

As you may know, an English haiku is usually made up of 17 syllables and is usually focused on some aspect of nature. It usually features a "turn" around the second line. 

What you may not have known (I didn't) is that the Japanese, the ones who invented the form, do not even have syllables in their language and their poems were always centred on the seasons. 

As this writer explains in his site dedicated to Japanese culture,  traditional Japanese haikus were always related to their four seasons: fall, winter, spring, summer and New Year's! Each seasonal poem had certain conventions and images that were expected. 

Thanks so much for reading and I hope spring is soon on its way, wherever you are! Please feel free to comment below and share with others if you think they would enjoy it! 

*All photographs were taken by the author and are copyright-protected. 

Love Sharilee. Hey thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear your comments and input in the space below. Also, if you like what you are reading, sign up through my Facebook page. or receive posts by e-mail by joining here

Trees Remind Us

Trees remind us 

That we are smaller

Than our creator 

And this knowledge

Lets us breath more easily,

Knowing that we are not 

God and do not need

To pretend we are. 

Trees remind us 

That no matter 

How the wind blows 

And the rain comes down

We can still stand strong

Even if we have lost 

All of our bloom.

Trees are the lions 

Of the forest

Who rule with majesty

The elephants 

Who remember everything

And the defenders

Of our air and earth. 

Hey everyone, I just wanted to thank you so much for reading my poems and looking at my pictures. I appreciate each one of you and would love to hear from you, whether through the comments below or by email. 

I also wanted to let you know that I am starting to sell some of my photos and would love if you would have a look and give me your feedback. I am offering the photos on prints, as well on some different products, such as bags, clocks and blankets. I don't have them all listed yet, so if there are any particular pictures that you are interested in, please let me know. 

For now, you can purchase my products at the following two sites:

https://sharilee-swaity.pixels.com

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You can also ask me for a custom order and I may be able to get you a better shipping rate, depending on where you are. 

I would love it if you would be willing to share this page, as well as any of my product pages. Thanks so much and God bless. 

Love Sharilee. Hey thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear your comments and input in the space below. Also, if you like what you are reading, sign up through my Facebook page. or receive posts by e-mail by joining here

Winter Comes

Winter comes, even

When we are not ready 

A cruel shock 

After summer's 

Delights.   

Winter comes overnight
An unwanted guest
With white robes and
An unfriendly 
Tone.

Winter comes at the end
Of life's cycle

A time of rest before

Another season of growth

Begins.

Winter comes without fail
To each of us
We can learn her
Stern lessons or resent her
 Cold ways.

Winter comes with a
Promise: clean snow
Covering each branch and inch
Offering redemption.
A fresh start.

Winter comes and is followed
By spring, summer, fall
It won't last forever
So succumb to its 
Thrall. 

As a Canadian enduring the third month of another long winter, I wrote this poem about the mixed emotions this season brings up in me.  Thanks so much for reading and I would delight in hearing your comments (or verses!) below.

All photos were taken by the author and are fully copyrighted.

Love Sharilee. Hey thanks so much for reading. I would love to hear your comments and input in the space below. Also, if you like what you are reading, sign up through my Facebook page. or receive posts by e-mail by joining here