Snow Twigs; a Wintry Photo Poetry Collage

The last week of February in good ole Michigan of USA, we were doused with one of those heavy snowfalls with crystallized flakes sticking to every thing in sight. Not a single tree trunk, branch or twig was exempt from its free fall! Nature never ceases to amaze, not even during the dull days of midwinter. Please enjoy my inspiration of photography and poetry from Mother Nature and Old Man Winter! Also, an anecdote about the recent threats to the Eastern Hemlock Tree.

No longer hiding our bareness of limb

not even from our closest of kin,

There are so many of us I never knew

standing right next to me in shadowy hues,

Nice to meet you

Nice to simply see you

How do you do . . .

Love your new coat all furry and white

just like the one I'm wearing with the name brand, Snowbright,

It's a new line that just came out

Mother Nature designed it during one of her bouts

What's more important?

the twig or the trunk,

The answer is simple . . .

One without the other

would be dammed and debunked

Listen . . . can you hear

the soft pitter-patter of the hush-hush snow

without the whistling wind to blow away blow,

Oh, how lovely this quiet moment I prize

no worries, no doubts to which I despise

and cause me to miss this beauty before my eyes

Leaves of the beech trees

hang tight in winter's breeze,

Hold on friends, that's what they say

don't let go till another day,

Here comes nature's wrath

again and again,

Together we stand

divided we fall

Face it, my friends

we're here for the long haul

Once upon a time, but not anymore

so much life happened here, now written in lore,

I once saw wagons, goats, pastures and chicken feathers

pedal pushers, fruit stands and grapevines tethered,

I smelled honey bees, corn crops and gardens of roses

kerosene and dairy farms offending neighborhood's noses,

I tasted potatoes and peaches stored in my upper decks

radishes, rhubarb and preparations for picnics,

I heard horse hoofs, seesaws and hands sifting through grain

the rat-a-tat of woodpeckers and passing trains,

I was touched by drooping branches over the top of me

and the footsteps of laughing children running around free,

I felt the family struggles and times of success

teenagers in my haystacks escaping from the rest,

Today, I sense their fleeting spirits every now and then

to say hello and remember when . . .

There are about ten or so acres across the street from where I live, but strolling though the forest that day, I was rather amazed at how many new trees popped into view presented by the magical sticking snowfall!

How many of thee are we

about a million and three,

The world population better watch out

move aside humans, have no doubt,

Make room for our species

or you'll fall to pieces

when we're gone

In the early nineteen hundreds, many of the hemlock trees in Michigan were cut and bark stripped for their tannin used in the animal hide industries. Coincidentally, there was a tannery just a mile from where I live along Pier Cover Creek which I've written briefly about in another post here at Hubpabes.com. Today, in Michigan, the trees are threatened by an invasive bug and a watch list has been established toward their cause. (See link for what to look for and the next step you can take). They are a beautiful shade-loving large evergreen that provides shelter for many birds and animals.

In more forest settings, hemlocks can be found growing among sugar maples and beech trees in hardwood forests. The dark green foliage of hemlocks offers a visual contrast to the lighter green foliage of hardwood trees around them. In winter, when the hardwood trees have shed their leaves, hemlocks stand as evergreen sentinels offering some color interest versus the grays of the dormant forest. My photograph provides a perfect example of this description.

Ode to The Hemlock

Hemlock, oh hemlock

loved by the birds and the bees

sitting quietly under the shade trees,

You look so beautiful and smell so divine

the wind through your needles sounds like a rhyme

The air is fresher when you're around

you shelter the animals with your branches abound,

Come back, come back to us, healthy and strong

I never want to say to you, "So long"

Darling, shall we sit outside with our tea

Not on your life, my silly hubby

When I look up

into the tops of trees,

I get the feeling someone's

looking back at me,

With a deep breath I say, "Hi"

to that big ole wonder eye in the sky

Notice anything unusual about the wintry cabin photo? There's a bright blue circle of light on the front of the cabin to the right. It's kinda hard to miss, actually. Click to enlarge the photo and see amazing details in the orb. I believe I captured a loving spirit of someone who was watching over me during my forest photo stroll; someone I feel close to me quite often.

And I'll leave you with that thought for the day . . .

I hope you enjoyed my winter photo tour! Blessings to all . . .