Ice Rains

Why I am thinking of my father
on the topic of white snows
perhaps because he seemed almost Hispanic
in his youth, tanned, dark hair and eyes
but whiteness shone the day
he came home early
worry caught my breath in chest
and only in the morning
did the firemen come, taking him away.

Such heart spasms, clench us all,
yet snow falls so softly, unexpected
and ice rains even less noticed
they drip, drip, coating the roads
and only when we step too fast
skews our vehicle, ends us in ditch
new babies without parents,
stitches in our heads. 
The drips spire down the icicles,

coat the roses as buds, never to open,
and yet, sometimes, I wish to be inside
tasting the ice cold water like fire
turning blue to the ends of my limbs
in sleepiness, and setting ablaze 
my very soul, like a light, shine out as call
here, with me, all the memories
a blanket of witness to eternity
dripping into us experience’s minerals.

Who could do magic with a wand
headed with all of life’s power to hold?
Who could accept magic in waves
like the falling of snow, or wonder
that we escaped from death,
that we saw roses, saw the spirals
climb down from the sky as raindrops
and drip, drip, into our thoughts
all that began as white and ended.
Copyright © | Year Posted 2012

Poem

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A  Avatar
December 29, 2015 at 5:47 PM
SHERI, Congratulations on having your poem featured on the soups home page during the last week of 2015 and beginning of 2016 :) awesome way to start the year... Enjoy the coming Year.... SKAT
Devnath  Avatar
July 5, 2013 at 11:47 AM
Memories of past beautifully adorned with very sweet words. Belated congrats on your win, sorry. Loved always, bl
Brown Avatar
December 3, 2012 at 1:26 PM
Congratulations on your win in Anthony's "Whiteness" contest Sherri. Love, Carol
Guzzi Avatar
December 2, 2012 at 6:12 PM
Congrad's on your win Light & Love
Richards Avatar
December 1, 2012 at 5:48 PM
I honestly do not know why this amazing poem did not take first....I am blown away by the sense of sadness, the sense of cold, and the mood of this quiet, but excellent expression of loss. So Eloquent. It is my honor to share the spotlight.
A   Avatar
November 30, 2012 at 11:55 AM
Sheri,, congratulations with your awesome win,, always~pd
Ludden Avatar
November 28, 2012 at 9:14 AM
The understatement is the most appealing. I think you could capitalize on it even more. Leave us with a question, here. I hope you don't mind a redactive approach.
Kendrick Avatar
November 28, 2012 at 6:38 AM
Great deeply expressive work..Enjoyed reading this morn..Your presence at my work was uplifting..Thanks for stopping by..That is a very sad memory of which you have written...I still miss my parents who have gone on..It seems that the memories seem to come flooding around holidays and birthdays but sometimes just a scent can flood my soul with a memory..Sara
A   Avatar
November 24, 2012 at 2:49 PM
Sheri... deep thinking..building castles with every deep memory in the way ... your poem is very fascinating. Your ice rain poem holds a very still image and felling..thank you for she sharing...pd
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