Wind; snow; light

Charles Simic writes a chilling portrait of winter wind (via @poetrynews on twitter), but the really interesting writing is in the comments section:

Marjatta Ripsaluoma [Moderator] Today 07:19 AM

As a Finn, and been one for almost 65 years, I know what is a snowstorm, or blizzard or continuing hard cold, especially now after an unsually hard winter, colder and more snowier than since 1961.

I love cross country skiing, but as I moved for more convenient life to nearby city Vaasa, which is right on the coast of Gulf of Bothnia, in Ostrobothnia, we get the benefits of the already warmed North Atlantic in form of more snow - or water, like it's been more common lately.

We don't get many power failures, hardly none at all, but in countryside they would be common. And the older eyes cannot take oil lamp light for reading no more. We have a summer shack in inland, where that was necessary, until we got a sunpanel.

I like the snow rather than sleet and mud. It makes the SAD-syndrome harder to hit. It makes things light. You live more South than we do, as you may know that this is the world's northern most grain growing area. This country would be uninhabitable if Gulf stream would stop.

Soon you'll get the Spring winds again!

I love this! It's so charming: The slightly off grammar, the Finnish place names, the sentence rhythm. Just lovely.

Also lovely and suitably wintry is the latest print at 20X200:

Nethermead by Joseph O. Holmes