shall I tell you about the ephemeral sparkle of light on wood
as each piece of cracked glass in the vase
caught and held the lampgleams for a moment
All articles filed in winter
Sister Winter
… But my heart is
Returned to sister winter
But my hands are
As cold as ice …
Feast-Keeping: The Longest Night of the Year
In much of the Northern Hemisphere the days are growing shorter, colder; the darkness catches us off guard with its earliness. The trees have passed their peak of autumn splendor and now are giving up their withered leaves one by one; the flowers are fading fast; the browning grass is going to sleep until the spring. All nature is making the long descent into winter, to the longest night of the year, but we humans rage against this dying of the light.
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rime
i woke one morn in winter past
the world still hushed and sleeping fast
the dying snows
yesterday morning the newly-fallen flakes
lay large and lacy atop the earlier shroud of snow
ash wednesday
when i woke the snow
was once more falling
Sister Winter
I wonder if the snow loves the trees and fields, that it kisses them so gently? And then it covers them up snug, you know, with a white quilt; and perhaps it says, ‘Go to sleep, darlings, till the summer comes again.’
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Polenta
Starting at low to medium heat and increasing as the liquid gets hot, bring the water, milk and salt to a boil in a large saucepan (heating on high from the start can scorch the milk solids). Add the polenta, reduce the heat, and cook slowly, stirring occasionally, for about 30 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and creamy. Remove from heat, add butter as you see fit, then cover and let stand for up to 5 minutes. The butter should be melted at this point; stir into the polenta, then transfer to a serving bowl.
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Roasted parsnips and turnips with clementines and rosemary
A note about turnips and parsnips: These root vegetables often get a bad rap, but they both become lovely and sweet when roasted; turnips will have a slightly sharp or spicy flavor as well, reminiscent of horseradish.
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Roast pork with citrus sauce
ely. Bone-in roasts such as the Boston butt shoulder are generally more flavorful and less expensive, but then there’s the bone to deal with and subtract from the weight of the cut. There’s no bone in a pork loin, which can save time and give you more meat for your money.
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