Jericho Blizzaaro Poem - Down Down Watch it Fall

Down, down, watch it fall

– fun for all

Down, down, we watch it fall
white, white so much blinding
it might as well be night
can be quite the fright
so park your car
(put a yardstick straight up - atop the hood)
up up it goes
watch the snow – totals, like young children,
 quickly grow.

On top the car the yardstick
can be seen from afar

six, seven,
a few hours later ten, eleven
inches of snow from some heaven.

Cozy up to a nice hot fire

clouds bring no blues today
only the warm hues
that came with childhood of yesterday
feelings of fun and excitement
that grow inside
while outside
form whirling rallying propagating creations
foretold by the weatherman
-a true northeasterly
snow squall, whiteout, snow blast, a gale, a
tempest,
gusting, blasting, pummeling, burying,
a true Northeaster
a BLIZZZZZZZZZZZARD.

Count them as fast and long as you can
the numbers of snowflakes exceed all counting
building sand dunes of white
playgrounds for everyone
turning twelve again
as though recess only comes to the young
and those of Yankee heart and New England
home.

No fear to fall
for short or tall
the landing in a free for all
in powder puffs
-pillows should be made of this stuff.

Listen -
Up the road a rumbling
sound
approaching fast
stand clear and cheer
as the snowplow goes fast a past
with the mighty force of steel
attempting to send up, down
back up again only managing a brief repose
from street to sidewalk
for soon comes a mini-plow along the byway
doing its miniature best to send back
what mighty-plow moved in conquest
now goes back into the road.
Ping pong ping pong
mighty-plow and mini-plow
exchange blows
snow in, snow out
push that snow
back in, back out.

While the innocent driveway
takes the brunt of the battle
buried in heavy casualty
chunks and pieces
icy and cold.

Look what they’ve done
to the lighthearted sheet of white
once feather-light, trackless
now hardened, dirtied, broken, jagged, uneven,
disheveled, disordered, tangled, tousled, coarse
conglomerated with pieces of dirt and small
stones
leaving those with mere shovels adorned
looking defeated and forlorn.

Still, the snowflakes fly
in face of it all
for no end is in sight.

Down, down, down
without the pitter or patter
of rain
nor the stinging ice came
down, down, down
moo juice white,
low-fat light,
tickling our noses
extending our eyelashes
soft against our face
cream condensed upon our out
 stretched tongues
pretty in daylight
romantic in starlight.
Today, tomorrow
blend as one
a new day called a blizzaro.

And all we can do
is watch it fall
six seven
ten eleven
twelve fourteen.
The time has come
now I have seen
recess
at my age
who knew?

Throwdown that shovel
join in on the fun
let the plows do battle
for us
let’s just have fun.

~Bernie

Yankee lore in Jericho

Yankee lore in Jericho

(A notice to all ye Jericho neighbors)

Published in the Mountain Gazette, Dec/ 20, 2018

     Well, just so ye all don't need to be wonderin' what that damn ole Yankee fool is up to today, I just as well foretell you the story.

    

    See back about a year ago I got it in my balding head that there was still a wee bit of space left on Maeve's shire to plant some more trees. One can never have enough of a variety of trees to help absorb what them scientist call carbon, that which I figure is them ole dinosaurs gettin' back at us for diggin up their graves. Anyway, it still gets cold in this neck of the woods and the critters need a place to hitch up, eat a few seeds, raise a family, and all that good stuff we all get to do.  

     So any ole how, as I was sayin', I was figurin' there was space and since I was ordering trees well to a year in advance I sure as all heck didn't think I would be planting trees between the time the Notch was closed and sugarin' time. But we Vermonters go with the flow.

     So as the trees from the Arbor Day Foundation arrived yesterday, I told ma (that's Maeve) I was aimin' to pick some spots (for ten baby trees) to make a new home for these two-foot spindle-legged babies, one that would help them grow into fine homes for birds and food for butterflies and other pollinators, as well as be right friendly to community folks as they walked along the sidewalk under the shade of these berry and seed-producing wonders.

     Perhaps starting them off on a snow flurry day with temperatures in the twenties might set their minds right off the start to be strong, resilient, and determined to become naturalized woodchucks albeit with flatlander heritage. Perhaps by next fall, they might even show off a bit to them there 'peepers' that serenade about town in autumn. 

     All else I gotta say is don't judge a cow by its udders, cause jeez um crow the ground ain't froze (much) therefore I reckon I can still get some plantin' done. 

     Reckon ye be wantin' to plant a few (trees) of your own. Can't say I blame you for wantin' to wait till spring to plant. You all can order trees and Hazlenut bushes from Arbor Day Foundation. Ten free trees with a membership. 

     A tree is unknown by its fruit, a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love ~Saint Basil

     Amen Saint Basil! 

A lone tree on a snowy field spotted while visiting sugarhouses a few years ago. Trees are art, containing wisdom. 

May your wood burn warm, your trees grow strong, sturdy, and long-lived. ~Bernie

FPF Posting
Just so ye all don't need to be wonderin' what that damn ole Yankee fool is up to (digging out in the snow and freezing cold), I reckon I outta to be telling you the story, the whole story. Now I reckon you are going to want to fix yourself some warm cocoa or some heaping strong hot coffee and sit back in your chair next to a cozy cooking wood stove as you read me yarn. Read here on this newfound contraption called the internet: http://bit.ly/2RPqLdB
Cause caring and sharing and contribution AND a wee bit of humor/fun equals community. ~Bernie