A 2024 Poetry Contest--Distant Chime of the Translucent Bell

New Year’s Day. It’s early morning. I glance out my office window, noting a thin layer of frost has coated the cars, trees, grass, and plants. I pause, for in the distance I hear gentle reverberations of a soft tingling bell. The tingle echoes of the past as I recall my grandmothers’ tale of the “bell of translucent ice.” "The bell of translucent ice is suspended in mid-air,” she said in her silvery voice followed with her carefully constructed words. “It rings to announce endings and beginnings. It tolls because there is fresh promise and wonder in the skies. Its clear tones can only be heard in the calm silence of a winter day, and echo long into the silver-blue serenity of night. The bell is generally only heard at the turning of the year when the days wind down into nothing. If you are fortunate enough to hear the bell, listen. Be grateful. It’s your immortal inspiration calling.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ from afar, a chime softly rings a gentle sound that on the wind it clings distant and sweet, a melody fine in this chime, a memory divine the sound travels over hill and dale in its journey a whispering tale softly ringing, a call serene in this chime, a scene unseen the distant chime in its flight through the wintry air, a sound so light a song of inspiration from far it climbs in the morning breeze, the distant chimes