Hushed and Solemn

The cold was our pride, the snow was our beauty. It fell and fell,
lacing day and night together in a milky haze, making everything quieter as it fell,
so that winter seemed to partake of religion in a
way no other season did,
hushed, solemn.

Patricia Hampl

All was hushed this afternoon. The doves did not stir from their perch as I focused in on them from the bedroom window. What fluffy coats they wear against the winter's cold!


I will soon leave behind my own thick coat and warm boots. Gloves and hat will be packed away with them in the closet. I shoveled heaps of soft white ice for the last time, enjoying every minute. My soul is hushed and solemn as I prepare to take flight.