Mindful Poetry – Winterscapes

It brings a shift in energy, a change in scenery. The world slows, the snow descends, and we watch transfixed as the swirl of white closes in. Poets take delight in winter’s beauty and ruminate on its transformative nature – how dark winter can lighten our perspective and calm our mind. For Mary Oliver in her poem Starlings In Winter, the scene of birds cavorting across frosty wires diminishes her burden of grief. In the poem Ice by Gail Muzar, a shy, insecure girl is transformed into a graceful dancer while ice skating with her father. Poet Ted Kooser transfigures postal cards into a living nativity in his poem, Christmas Mail. We’ll laugh with Billy Collins’, Snow Day and join in Burning the Old Year with Naomi Shihab Nye.

Each poem this month is an invitation to celebrate, to revel in the escape to snow, ice, frost, and winter’s warmth. Enjoy!

Poetry has been a life-long passion and solace for Rebecca Echert-Lennstrom. The beauty and playfulness of verse captured her heart early and became a well-spring of reflection and inspiration. For the last 25 years, she’s been sharing that love with high school students as an English teacher and creative writing instructor, steeped in words and imagery. She’s coached students in the National Poetry Out Loud Competition for ten years, paired with professional poets in the classroom to inspire student writing, and published high school creative writing magazines. This is her second year curating the Mindful Poetry Series as a ministry of the Episcopal Church.