Walking Through the Woods on a Snowy Morning

Not a day for a hike

But off we go into the woods

Snow is falling; it’s very cold

I grab the stick my daughter hands me

And follow in her boot prints

Step by step

The creek along the trail

Is not your summer creek

Transformed by snow and ice

My sister’s blue coat and

My pink scarf are shouts of color

In this still life black and white

We talk of summer days—

Playing in the water

Rocks, moss and ferns

All that—the leaves and seeds and flowers

Are here in these bare trees, 

    in our memories

‘Neath the snow and ice

Promises to keep

My sister Elena and her husband Ron, my brother Tom and his wife, Thelma, my daughter, April and I took the Lost Creek hike this past weekend—the coldest weekend of the year. It was fabulous and amazing and a time to treasure.

- Nancy Perkins, February 2015