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20 Jan 00 - 09:31 AM (#165689) Subject: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: Peter T. The cold has come, and now at night it is so iceclear you can hear the stars twinkle. When the cloud cover goes like two nights ago, the temperature goes down into Arctic conditions. It is wonderful after all these weeks of fuzzling around to have January cold at last. In the park where I walk late in the afternoon, the big pond is frozen again, and there is a big bonfire for the skaters. Everything is orange and black, and what little wind there is glissandos the snow along the ice. Noises crack (why is that? Why is sound different in icy air? Must find out). Every few minutes, I have to put my hands over my cheeks and nostrils just to thaw them out. There are three skaters, and they last about 10 minutes. Two of them give up: but the good one, a man, stays out and does those things only figure skaters can do, that makes everyone else deeply envious and wish they had spent their lives learning to skate. He is fine to watch, cutting geometrical slices out of the cold evening, one side gold, one side black, gold-black, black-gold in the flickering light of bonfire. Above, the stars like frozen fireworks coming out. The moon attends. I await tonight's total eclipse with hope that it will be as cold and clear in the night sky as it is now. If noise carries as far as it does tonight, we should be able to hear the shadow of the earth falling across the icy reaches of lunar space, spinning its own geometries of gold-black, black-gold. |
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20 Jan 00 - 10:45 AM (#165717) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: katlaughing Speechless and in awe. One suggestion only, again, publish, man, publish! Stunning, Peter, thank you. |
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20 Jan 00 - 11:25 AM (#165731) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: Liz the Squeak Peter,what are you doing posting here, when you should clearly be publishing great stuff for everyone to enjoy... I got goosebumps and shivers just reading it. I too am waiting for the eclipse, (about 4.00am UK time), but have no intention of getting as cold as your description made me feel.... Here it should be blood red, like a drop of blood on a sea of black velvet, with silver stars like a diamond trim, but as the sun sets in a wrack of peach and flame, the grey mist of the clouds obscures the airplane on its ascent, so the moon will probably be wearing a veil tonight. LTS
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20 Jan 00 - 11:45 AM (#165737) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: KathWestra Thank you -- again -- Peter. Your lyrical writing always moves me. I know the kind of cold you describe from my Michigan childhood. The kind of cold where the snow squeaks when you walk on it. It is not nearly so cold here in Washington, but we are finally getting a snowfall, our first real accumulation of the season. I may be the only person in this city who waits for this with great anticipation and greets it with unmitigated joy. It's just about 30 degrees, so the snow -- about 5 inches of it so far -- is moist, and sticking to every tiny thing. I have always loved the winter shapes of trees; they are especially beautiful traced in white. The snow helps me notice the intricacy of vines, twigs, and branches. The tracery is interrupted regularly by little showers of snow shaken off as hungry birds fly to the feeders in my backyard. It's a peaceful and beautiful scene. |
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20 Jan 00 - 11:50 AM (#165740) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: Peg nice work, Peter. I wish I was conscious early enough to post a Thought for the Day...I sure do enjoy the ones I have read... BTW I am bringing that fine piece of writing tonight to my coven's Full Moon ritual; those last few lines will be well-appreciated I am sure... peg |
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20 Jan 00 - 01:33 PM (#165768) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: Ringer Beautifully described, I'm sure.... but what's the thought for the day? |
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20 Jan 00 - 09:08 PM (#165958) Subject: RE: Thought for the Day - Jan 20 From: Little Neophyte I really enjoyed that Peter T. thank you Were you talking about High Park? I use to go there often myself to skate. Your words reminded me of the time I use to work at the Toronto General Hospital and during my lunch break I would go over to College Park to skate. I met a woman there who was a figure skater. She looked pretty good for my level of skill. We made arrangements to meet once a week at the skating rink where she would teach me to figure skate. While everyone else sat around the staff cafeteria complaining about this, that and the other thing, I was having a glorious time on the ice. BB |