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<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Abbie</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u><span style="text-decoration:none"> </span></u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>I enjoyed this piece. Every sensory description was a
wonderful experience. Now for the knit picking.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
LISTEN TO WINTER<br>
<br>
Hear the silent snowfall.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>This line immediately captivated me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was there instantaneously. Snow fall really
does have a sound, yet silent describes it. It’s my favorite line.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
See white flakes swirl.<br>
Feel the warmth of two pairs of socks.<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Breathe in the aroma of cocoa.<br>
Taste the hot chocolate.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>These 2 lines deal with the same substance experienced in
2 different ways.</u><br>
<br>
Outdoors, one degree below zero,<br>
feel the frozen snow beneath your feet.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Isn’t all snow frozen? Maybe a different descriptor would
work better. There are so many different varieties of snow that provide a smorgasbord
of choices.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
See streets, sidewalks, grass, swathed in white.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>When you can see these things there isn’t much snow on
them.</u></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><br>
Hear the whine of a snow blower.<br>
Smell the exhaust from idling cars.<br>
Back indoors, enjoy more hot cocoa.</p>
<div style="mso-element:para-border-div;border:none;border-bottom:solid windowtext 1.0pt;
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<p class="MsoNormal" style="border:none;mso-border-bottom-alt:solid windowtext .75pt;
padding:0in;mso-padding-alt:0in 0in 1.0pt 0in"><u>Great end line.</u></p>
</div>
<p><u>I love the way you’ve played with the sunbeam theme. There is something
wonderfully pleasurable about the feel of a warm Sunbeam in winter and early
spring weather. I wonder why you gave Willow
the whole sunbeam without taking any of it for yourself. </u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><a name="aolmail__GoBack"></a><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"> </b></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">January Sunbeams</b></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal" style="text-align:center" align="center"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u>Good title.</u></b></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">Alice </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal" style="text-align:center" align="center">by Alice
Jane-Marie Massa</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">Having survived a number of the record-setting gray
days</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">on this Frozen Tundra, beside the lake--</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">I graciously welcome into my abode</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">the rare January sunbeams</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>I like the concept of welcoming a sunbeam into
your home.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is the sense that you
have invited it, or that it is a welcomed surprised guest which has sentience </u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">that take their rest for a few short hours</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>I love the concept of the sun beams taking their
rest.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">upon the beige carpet of my living room.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>Great imagery. </u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">"Willow,
come!<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Sunbeams!"</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>I catch the delight in the writer’s discovery at
the special, rare treat.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">I cheer for my guide dog.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">When she joins me, I encourage her:</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">"You have to catch the sunbeams."</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>My first impression was that Willow was encouraged to act like a cat
chasing a beam of light. But then I realized it was meant in a different way;
like catching a snooze.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I note this but
I wouldn’t change what you have.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">My British Black Labrador complies:</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">she nestles down into the warmth of the January
sunshine.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">In this patch of sunbeam,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>Great description.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">I know Willow
does not dream of</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">her blue boots, red coat, nor salt.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>If I didn’t already know, I would wonder whether Willow enjoyed getting
into those things.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">My mellow Lab is in</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">a yellow Jell-O of comfy contentment.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>Great description.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">After catching her limit of January sunbeams,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">Willow
returns to her bed </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">beside my computer desk</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">and patiently awaits the sounder</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">that alerts her </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">to my computer's shutting down--</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">our cue to arise for a winter walk.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">To waylay Cabin Fever,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">Willow
and I leave some January sunbeams</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">alone in the warmth of our living room</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>I love the further personification of the
sunbeams. It is particularly interesting in the way it can be interpreted. It’s
not so much that the sunbeams make it warm, as it is that they found a warm place
and you were leaving them alone to enjoy the warm comfort.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">while we, bedecked in Arctic attire,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">head outside</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">and hope other January sunbeams</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">will follow us,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>So these sunbeams are like puppies that like to
tag along.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">warm our path,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"><u>I think these last 3 lines are both literal and
metaphoric.</u></p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">brighten this January day,</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal">lighten the load of this Wisconsin
winter.</p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="aolmailmsonormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">_______________________________________________<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Val</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>This is a</u> <u>wonderful, spiritual prayer. I’ve made
comments as I read the poem line by line. Some of the phrases brought up good questions
concerning their meaning. But the poem’s meaning became clearer as it
progressed.<br>
</u><br>
<br>
Standing<br>
at the<br>
threshold of this time,</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>I wonder a little about what ‘this time” means.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Are you talking about a critical new point in
history, or the beginning of a new year?</u><br style="mso-special-character:
line-break">
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">will you be a blessing</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>By you, I think you mean yourself and all the other
collective people in the world.</u><br>
<br>
Or mire of twists or sorrows again?</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>Actually, I have to take back the last comment. You would
be asking yourself these questions. That last line also persuades me that “This
time” refers to the beginning of a new year.</u><br>
<br>
somewhere I pray for even, calm, balance</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>What does “Somewhere” mean here? I think you mean
somewhere within yourself. What kind of connection do you have to this part of
yourself?</u><br>
<br>
hope and faith on alert for misty signs.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>This last line is intriguing. I love the idea of being
alert for misty signs.</u><br>
<br>
Whatever I encounter, may it brace me with endurance.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><u>I love this concept, as I understand it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I think you are saying that the very things
that are uncomfortable or painful to us are the same things that give us power
to endure them.</u><br>
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
<br style="mso-special-character:line-break">
</p>
<p class="MsoNormal"> </p>
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