Winter’s Unseen Hues

Daily Note

Every day, a photograph, a poem.

I’ve been writing about the greys of winter, but its not really true if a person gets out in nature. Here in the shrub-steppe, the various shrubs, which are our forests, provide many hues, like the pale green of sagebrush and the deep green of bitterbrush, both of which are habitats for the sagebrush sparrow. The rocks and boulders often are brightly colored with lichen [WSU Presentation, slides 9/10]. But my favorite are the red branches of the saskatoon [service] berry which will bloom in creamy green leaves and white flowers in the spring.

In this photo taken at Crescent Bay on January 1st, 2024, all of these are seen, and winter is no longer dull. And so, a poem…

Poetry

Winter’s Unseen Hues

Winter, so often deemed
grey and barren,
But walk in the hills
of the shrub-steppe;
See the red branches
of the saskatoon berry;
Step across the green
mats of moss;
Brush your coat
along the pale green of sage;
Stand on ancient boulders
covered in differing hues of lichens;
Listen for the song of
sagebrush sparrows
in the dark green
of the tall bitterbrush;
Winter, so now delights,
always living.

Sheri Edwards
01.23.24 023.365.24
Poetry/Photography