Taking Out The Trash

To us snow and cold seem a mere delaying of spring. How far we are from understanding the value of these things in the economy of Nature! - Thoreau

an indecisive day of rain turned to snow

exhausted by early evening

blanketing the giant blue spruce outside like cocaine

a pearl necklace wrapping

sparkling under the faithful fluorescence of a waxing gibbous moon

boldly peeking out through departing clouds of mystifying cotton candy

you see the darnedest things at night when no one's around

when your head's not down

not looking at the ground

a religious experience

better than miles of stacked cash

holding like the curled handlebars of an artexed moustache

in but an infinitesimal blink of god's eyelash

taking my breath away

not knowing what to say

and to think

i didn't want to go out to the dumpster to toss my trash

Author's Note

"Now, by 2 p.m., a regular snowstorm has commenced, fine flakes falling steadily, and rapidly whitening all the landscape. In half an hour the russet earth is painted white even to the horizon. Do we know of any other so silent and sudden a change?" - Thoreau

Reviews

[lightsong]

"so silent and sudden a change" isn't this how we also must achieve, accept and work silently and from no where the change happened? I like how You spoke emotionally then turned it to the wisdom of the spirit.

"a religious experience
better than miles of stacked cash"

how in depth this goes, one experience can shape us more than many years, also when we only go with the negative disapproval instead of looking to the whole picture to see something to get a benefit from.

[Pete]

what you say so true. i needed to take out the trash that night but didn't really want to. as i was returning i looked up and caught this scene. as you say, in a split instant everything changed and i was blessed by the experience. thanks so much for "getting it". you are clearly a person of depth, feeling, wisdom and understanding... ")

[Mauricio Montoya]

You choose your words carefully, love how it comes together, everyone and everything is in this write and love the ending because what you have and what I have becomes garbages
Excellent write thank you for sharing.

[Pete]

thank you for sharing kind thoughts mauricio. you have good insight and it is appreciated ... :)

[carl]

very nice, reminds me of an experience i had in the country one night going to the compost pit. Away from any town or house lights the stars almost brought me to me knees.
"you see the darnedest things at night when no one's around
when your head's not down
not looking at the ground
This is really really true, also reminds me of a section of a favorite book Fahrenheit 451
by Ray Bradbury when the main character is out walking at night. Enjoyed the read very much- carl

[Pete]

ah, the stars - wish i could have been there to see them. such great thoughts you share carl. you humble me as does nature. best wishes ... :)

[willweb]

We don't get many snowfall filled nights where I live and when we do, they are always broadcast for shock value on the news non-stop so we can all worry about freezing to death in our beds after the roof collapses in on us. But, like I said, we don't get many snowfall filled nights around here. Nicely written though, I like your view of this and I like the decision to not head for the dumpster

[Pete]

thanks ww. the scene was breathtaking and felt it deserved a write. even a blind squirrel finds an acorn once in a while ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

It is amazing when you wake in the morning to blanket snow.It is so breathtaking in its beauty. Your blue spruce was well and truly blessed, as you were when you took a trip outside to dump the trash. Your poetic expression in the first stanza is top notch Pete. Great work. The silence of this transformation to a coverlet of white flakes is magic.

Chris

[Pete]

magic indeed chris. how many of us take the time to inhale such a scene in our busy, daily lives? thank you, you're very kind ... :)

[Chris Shaw]

You are welcome. A lovely poem.