About a year ago, my Spanish teacher from my junior year of high school started a children’s literature publishing house for women authors. Along with her good friend Laura Kern, Betsy Howard founded Wandeling Press. They recently funded their first book Woolies for the Winter on Kickstarter, and it is now available for purchase on their website. If you have a little one who enjoys listening to books read aloud, this is a sweet little book and a great company to support!
In the fall of 2015, they hosted a poetry contest for young women. This was a really fun challenge; it made me think about what I love best about winter and how to describe it. Poetry is such a neat way to communicate ideas because it can have so much structure and so many standards to adhere to, which forces you to be concise and be very intentional about what words you include and what you leave out. This is the poem I wrote:
“Winter Moments”
Sitting in silence, I stare at the tree in its colorful, glowing warm lights;
Tucked in the corner, it fills me with peace as I ponder the coming of Christ;
A moment I treasure, that comes once a year, filled with wonder, a wintertime night.
Sitting in silence, I watch the snow float past my window and read a good book;
Tucked in the corner, ‘tween headboard and wall, blissful hours fly by in my nook;
A moment I treasure, of calm and content, as snow slants down the path the wind took.
Sitting in silence, I smile and glance at the children’s pink noses and ears;
Tucked in the corner, I sip steaming tea as they chatter with eyes bright and clear;
A moment I treasure, of simple, shared joy, and of laughter, of people held dear.
Sitting in silence, I gaze through the woods and look up as the bare tree boughs creak;
Tucked in the corner, I sigh and fall back as snow crunches beneath, cold and clean;
A moment I treasure, of white, wintry wonder, of slow, icy beauty and peace.
What is your favorite form of literature and why? Do you have a book, short story, or poem that has always stuck with you?
Julia
