There’s a stillness peculiar to winter;
A hushed, patient mood of waiting
Out in the garden.
Growth suspended,
Day melting into frozen night,
The world is reduced to still life.
The noisy, ever changing
Hubbub of spring
Still weeks away;
The garden waits, nearly silent.
Animated only by birds, and deer,
And neighbors walking dogs;
There is no buzz of grass growing,
Or swish of unfurling buds.
No hum of bees mutes the clear
And empty silence;
Only wind blowing branch against branch
And staccato chime of frozen rain.
Light shifts from dawn to noon to dusk.
Water drips and refreezes
Into oddly rounded forms.
Owls call to their mates across the ravine.
Waves lap the beach.
The rest is still; sculptural in its stark simplicity.
While bear and snake and groundhog sleep,
Our garden waits, glazed into shades of brown.
Tight, windswept and bare,
Landscape reduced to its simplest form.
Our time for seeing the true shape of things.
The winter garden is our gallery.
Ours to wander and enjoy
These still, and silent
Objets d’art.
Words and Photos by Woodland Gnome 2014
Forest Garden 
Lovely photographs! Is that a Eagles nest in the Cyprus tree? 🙂
I hope you guys are ready for our potential winter storm for next week!?
Hi Michael, Glad you liked the photos. Yes, that is an active Eagle’s nest in the Cypress on the pond. This is mating season, and I’m so looking forward to getting back out to watch for them. We think we’re ready, Michael. I’ve been in with the crud for over a week now. We still have patches of the last snow in the shade here. We’ve had snow on the ground for over 18 days straight now 😉 I hope you and yours are ready for the next batch coming. Looking back, I have snow photos from last year in March….
Thanks for coming by Forest Garden today. The peanuts in your post look just wonderful. People up this way boil them- shelled- in sugar water for these wonderfully sugary crusted treats. Glad to know another lover of the most sublime peanut. WG
you are now certified as a poetess, my friend. Beautifully, poetically expressed, this waiting, longing, yearning for spring, around the corner.
Yes, we are waiting and longing for spring together, but also enjoying this beautiful time for rest. I hope your translations are coming along and that you are both well. Only a few more weeks now before we will be back outside with more projects than hours 😉 I hope you are getting out and taking photos, in love with all of life, and reciting from our much loved Rumi. Still in and re-cuping here- but on the mend. Much love-
What lovely imagery you create in your poetry. I just came in from walking the dog — he asked to go out at 4 am and the beautiful white silence was so lovely I almost didn’t mind
What a special moment, Cynthia. Your dog must really love you for taking him on early morning walks in winter. Thank you for the kind words on the poem. This winter has been a specially beautiful one for those blessed with the means to stay warm. Best wishes, WG