winter

Numb fingers, red cheeks, stiff toes, waving branches… If there was one thing I would change about Vermont, it’s winter.

Every winter morning you take the car in Vermont, you have to wake up early to scrape the ice off your windshield. Then you have to shovel your walkway. And sometimes, when it’s really snowy, you have to dig out your car or pray for the snowplow to come by your street. Finally, when you climb into your car, the air is freezing, the windows are frosty, and the seats are cold.

Patrick Anderson
November 20, 2008

Vermont: The Best State in America

Vermont is a great, truly unique state. It is of the greatest in my opinion. I cannot think of any other state like it; whether it is spring, summer, winter, or fall, there is no dull season in Vermont. There is always something to do, always a hobby to take up, or sport to play. There are so many activities to choose from. Although, almost every sport in Vermont is fun, my personal favorite is skiing.
Skiing is one of the most popular sports in Vermont. There are very few people I have met that don’t either ski or snowboard. I have been skiing for about six years now and Stowe is my home mountain. Every chance I get I am up there. There is nothing better than getting onto the lift, with the wind in your face, and breathing in the cool crisp air at the top.

Vermont is very different than other States; it can get very hot and very cold. Vermont offers many activities ranging from skiing to hiking. Vermont has much to offer to tourists and residents. The most important thing about life in Vermont is the ability to have a warm summer and a snowy winter.
The summer in Vermont is very fun. The warm temperature makes many activities possible. Hiking, biking and running are common summer activities. Vermont’s scenery makes these activities very enjoyable. In the summer, I like to bike and swim. After summer comes fall, then my favorite season…winter.
Winter in Vermont is a great experience. The main thing to do in winter is to ski and Vermont offers many places to go skiing. There are sixteen alpine mountains and twenty-six cross-country ski areas. My favorite place to go skiing is at Mad River Glen. Vermont is often referred to as the “West of the East.”

Abram Capone, Seasons in Vermont

As I walk through the rustling leaves I think about how much living in Vermont means to me, and how much I love the changing seasons. I love the cool autumn air and the sound the brook makes as it rushes by our house in the spring. I love listening to gentle rain at night, softly pattering against my windowpane. Some would argue that the thunderstorms in summer are a nuisance, but I enjoy listening to the thunder and torrential rain in the soft glow of the candles, lit when the power cuts off for one reason or another. Skiing in the winter is a favorite sport of mine. I ski down the slopes with the cold wind biting my cheeks, the snow powder like a tail spewing out behind me, brilliant white, in stark contrast to the muted blue of the mountains on the horizon. The seasons are by far the best part of living in Vermont.

The snow sparkled like a thousand tiny, crystal diamonds, each single snowflake with a thousand more facets than the last. The sun glinted off of the blanket, causing the rays to reflect off in different hues of red, blue and yellow. I marveled at the beauty of the sight, giggling to myself as snowflakes swarmed around me. Though only five at the time, I still have a fairly good recollection of my winter days in Vermont.
I giggled some more as the wind whipped at my hair and I stumbled backwards, falling onto my bottom with a slight thud. I stood up with precaution, making sure not to trip and fall backwards as my younger brother Addison had just managed to do by tumbling back before standing up and brushing the snow off.

I gazed past my porch onto the newly fallen snow.
The wind blew through my hoodie and I shivered.
The winter wind had long ago frozen my nose and feet.
I wrapped my arms around myself and continued to ponder

on a winter night long ago.
When the Ancients celebrated the true Light being given.
A newborn baby lying in a manger
far away
in Jerusalem.

I smiled remembering Christmas’ past.
The light of a child’s smile on my brother and sister’s face.
The smell of a newly cut tree,
laughter,
gifts being wrapped and waiting
waiting
for Santa Claus to come down the chimney.
Would He tell me that I had been a good girl this year?

Winter,
Shining white flakes of snow fall,
Glistening on my eyelashes,
The bitter cold wind whips my face,
But still a warm feeling spreads inside me,
The deer prance among the snow,
Playing,
Squirrels chitter among the trees,
Talking,
Birds sing their song of happiness,
Joyful that they are here,
In this delightful,
Swirling,
Wonderland of snow,
Together,
Not worrying about tomorrow,
Or the day after,
Or next Tuesday,
This is my winter dream,
Togetherness,
Happiness,
And Love.

Winter. What do you think of when you hear the word winter? Maybe you think of skiing, or snowball fights, or even hot chocolate? Everybody’s idea of winter is different. For me, when I hear the word winter, I think of what everything looked like during the first winter after I moved here.

It was a normal October weekend. I was sitting in my family’s living room in front of the wood pellet stove trying to warm my cold feet up with the warmth from the fire. My family’s house was unusually quiet. I was looking into the mesmerizing flame of our wood pellet stove when my dad called out excitedly.

Snow

By Maia Hendrickson
Brewster Pierce Memorial School, Grade 4

I love the snow
Yes, I love the snow
Not a place with snow
that I don't go
Snow in my hair
Snow everywhere
Sledding down hills
Skiing with skill
Making a snowman
Watching the weatherman
Saying "snow's a comin' soon!"

Waking Up

By Gabriel P. Albright
Mount Mansfield Union High School, Grade 12

Because
It was vacation and
Because
We were all together again and
because it snowed for the first time this year we
went outside. Oblivious to
Chill frost's breath in
Our pink ears and
Icy bundles of soft snow in
Our naked palms and
Frozen fingers. We
Slid
In wet sneakers and
Rolled
In white-powdered sweatshirts and
Got as snowy as we could so that
Our rosy cheeks and
Watering eyes
Could have been just as much
from the snow
as from our joy.

Winter Carnival
A biting wind silently roars
A subtle knife tearing through me
Like cutting open a bursting net of dead fish
It spills into the now skeletal Carnival stalls
Aging them, to wash away the bawdy memories
while the empty colors fade
into a deeper haze of gray.

An arbitrating judge,
The Ferris wheel stands
High above the tumultuous hoards
Of confused and desperate emotion.
It deflects the sun’s pleading rays
Letting them fall rejected and useless
In the crisp sterile air.

You always said that life was a like a Ferris wheel
And I thought you meant it had its ups and downs
A roulette of good luck and bad
I thought you knew
You would always rise again
Under a golden crown of sunshine.
I thought that even in your sea of self
Pity, misery and shame,
You would still remember the smiles
Of crimson poppies, and eager crocuses,
The slobbery kisses of concord grape
A scent I thought impossible to forget

A delicate, radiant blanket of snow settles down
On Earth, finishing it's journey
The snowflakes are like fringe on my dark eye lashes
As they fall from the sky
Sweet light shines through the naked trees
As the barren ground is covered
Smoke spirals out of chimneys dancing
Through the air, the smell of wood slowly burning

The wind slaps my cheeks and turns them a rosy red,
Freezing my nose and ears
Steam rises from the hot chocolate that greets us at the door
As we shuffle on in from our adventure in the snow
The sultry glow of the fire warms me from inside
As I lay on the purple couch, with a gold blanket surrounding me,
defrosting my iced toes

A red, fuzzy sweater and corduroy pants,
Knee high socks with stripes to accent,
Trying to stay cozy in the epic winter storm

Snow falls and falls, it just never seems to stop,
But one thing is for sure
We can all find comfort in a cold, winter storm

Silent Night

White, shining snow
Christmas trees and presents
Wind blowing across frozen lakes
Dark clouds in the sky
Cold outside
Hot chocolate inside
Soup for dinner
Visiting with cousins, Grampa
Travelling to Bosnia
Love to my Mom, Dad, Brother
Night time
Stars in the sky
Sparkling bright

Winter Snowfall

The snow falls from the sky
To the ground
The chimney makes your home warm
Presents under the Christmas tree
Santa comes down the chimney
Santa fills your home with toys
Santa lights the sky

Winter

Winter time is here
When snow melts in my mouth
I freeze and I go inside
I cook hot cocoa and I take a sip
I love it
It feels like hot smooth chocolate going down my throat
But it is a little hot
Ouch
It burnt me
OUCH!

As we walk through the snow
The leaves do not crunch and the sun does not show
Grey light, icy breath, we talk

another one....

Welcome to the time of year
That fills the county side with a cold blanket
Snow, snow, there it goes
Gone with the time as it always does
Gone like ice cream on a hot day
The temperature will melt it all away

to me, vermont means beautiful. a hill, filled with colored leafes, like a beautiful painting in the autmn. beautiful snowflakes are caught on a most delicate branch of a winter tree. flowers braking through the remains of snow, everything comes backin the spring. a gentle warmth filling the air, warming you whole body from head to toe, in the summer. we're lucky we live in vermont

One winter I was plowing snow off my garden because it was icy. My dad got his plow on his ATV and put his studded and chained tires on and then headed to the ice-coverd garden.
Then, he was plowing the snow of the garden and then it happened. My dad did not see me playing on the snow pile that he was plowing into. Then, he was coming right at the pile with a lot of snow and he plowed the snow right on top of me and than I was stuck in the snow. So, I yelled to him HELP! HELP! and at first he did not hear me. So I yelled again HELP DAD! and finlly he heard me. So, then he came over with the ATV and took the shovel that was stuck in the snow beside me and he dug me out of the snow.
That was how I got stuck in a lot of snow. After my dad was done we went ice skating on the garden.

This cold day in winter, windy and bitter
Snowflakes softly drift down from the sky
To cover completely in a white blanket
The rugged mountain and town nearby.

One snowflake falls from a dark cloud
To join its counterparts below
It knows it must follow the wind
But knows not where that wind will go.

It begins over a mountain, hovering high
Floating above people cruising on skis
While others sit in lifts, and trees
Extend as far as the eye can see.

It flies down the mountains, bouncing along
Passing over snowshoers, wolves, and a bear
Entering the town, it glides toward a hill
With neither a thought nor a single care.

The hill is packed with small children
Laughing, playing, and having fun
Some sled down the hill, racing and chasing
While others catch snowflakes on their tongue.

The snowflake soars over a cluster of green
Where people drag trunks under their arms
These people pay, and then drive away
With their new tree from a Christmas tree farm.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
As we wait, woolens come out,
And the first frost brings children's shouts

Winter comes and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
The snow grows deeper every day,
And boots come out, there to stay.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
We sled down powdery hills,
And drink hot chocolate to combat chills.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
Santa Claus calls, bringing gifts in the night,
And the new year begins to take flight.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
We all think it will never end,
And despair that spring will never turn the bend.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
Every year, but sometimes slow
Now the snow has turned to mud,
And leaves on trees once again start to bud.

Winter comes, and winter goes,
For how long, no one knows.

this pallid nothingness is infinite
take a breath
freeze to death.
the only way out is to give in
when you’re so ravenous that you’ll believe

a
n
y
t
h
i
n
g

aren’t you tired of starving?

thaw by the fire
hands cracked and blistered
feet calloused from walking endless miles
that have lead nowhere.

i am a wanderer.
i cannot see
i don’t know where i’m going
i am myself blinded by a vast white blanket.

human activity decays rapidly
we retreat to the boxes we call homes
in truth,
they are merely
fragments of
feeble attempts
to feel warm

a spark flickers in my mind
there is a light

A Winter Wonderland

As one piece falls gently on your skin,
You get shivers all through your body.
The children's crusty footprints mark it.
Rosy cheeked children eat it as it melts on their tongues.
The white, fluffy flakes float all around in the air,
Glittering and sparkling everywhere.
It really makes the holidays come alive!

A cold missile explodes
near an unwary back:
time for evasive action.
Biding time for a counterattack,
the soldier lies in wait
for the
perfect
moment
to
strike…
There!
A flash of movement
a growl of savage delight
and the missile’s away.
As the artillery hits its mark
(yelps and groans ensue)
the terrain is eyed warily
anticipating tactics and strategies
a psychological chess game of wits.
Laughing quietly with a predator’s glee
the enemy’s weak point is discerned
as the sun glints off
millions of sparkling diamonds.
Victory imminent, one thought now:
he's going down.
If only all battles were fought with
frozen raindrops, as
melting ice-water
drips cold trails down a spine
and mittens
are packed with snow.

I Wish

By Meghann Dempsey
Rice Memorial High School, Grade 10

This winter tale does not explain
Fuzzy thoughts, or cookie brains
Santa Claus’ rosy cheeks
Or festive songs that last for weeks
Instead, this winter, read to you
A story shared from four faith views
They talk about a King of Kings
The Lord of Lords of whom we sing
During church the Eve of Love
The baby birthed to rescue us
The skies so black, yet mottled white
A star above shone toward that sight

I wish I were alive back then
To witness Mary’s cry and grin
As she hugged her sinless kin
And kissed his soft, cold, wrinkled skin

I wish I had been there to see
Joseph’s face burst into glee
When Baby gurgles broke our plea
And animals bowed rev’rently

I wish I were alive that night
To see my Savior bundled tight
To see who’d come to live God’s light
And beat dark Satan through love’s fight

I wish I had been there to hear
The donkey’s haw and silent tears

Time

By Evan Wing
Rice Memorial High School, Grade 9

On a bleak and windy moonlit night,
In mid-December, dark and cold,
I stumble into a snowy ruin,
The icy shadows making it seem not as old.

A rusty iron gate bars my path,
Piled high with winters’ chilly down,
I push it open with a creak,
Entering into a frozen town.

A cobbled street can scarcely be seen
Where the ice and snow has fallen but little.
Stone columns, cracked and caked with snow
Scatter the ground, hewn down the middle.

As I walk through this abandoned haven,
The bitter wind whipping about my face,
A moonlit sparkle catches my eye.
What’s this? A watch, with the chain still in place!

The silvery lid is encrusted with ice,
The metal cold in my tingling hands.
I put my ear close to the tiny machine
To try and hear the ticking of its silvery bands.

The snow spins about me like a million insects
As I pry the lid off the jeweled face,

Buried now
In
White
I’ll covet;
Coat and cover
Whispers
From my lover
Of
I love yous
Every other
Memory
I must smother
To forget…
…or to recover?
I regret
Ever giving
Myself away
I’ll
Admit I feel
Empty
Mostly everyday
And
I miss him now he’s gone
And the snow won’t melt for
Long
A first snow
A first
Love
A broken heart
The first one

It’s the first snowfall of the year.
It came a bit early, but is ever held dear.
The children are happy, the adults in dismay,
For now they must shovel early today.

It’s the first snowfall of the year,
Skiers, excited, take out their snow gear.
They pack their cars and wish with high hopes,
That there won’t be much traffic trying to get to the slopes.

It’s the first snowfall of the year,
As one spies over a bank, he sees his fellow peers.
With snowball in hand and a thrower’s stance,
He lets fly an icy sphere as it finds its mark by chance.

It’s the first snowfall of the year.
The night is silent and ever so clear.
A single street light covered in snow,
Looks similar to the cloud covered moon’s bright glow.

Winter's Truth

By Roberta Hemmer
Mill River Union High School, Grade 11

Shards of cold pierce my chest,
whistling winds battle frigid pines jagged with ice.
Frosty mountains probe the vast darkness;
Faint stars speckle in the deep velvet above.

Winter is the only season
Where the truth is not gaudily dressed
In brilliant greens, fiery reds and oranges,
Or dispelled by distracting tendrils of vines.

Only in winter are the wounds of the earth
Laid bare for all to see,
Ugliness and despair unrestrainedly raging,
Reminding us that life is not all awe and warmth and splendor;

Yet milky moon glow and
curving shadows cast doubt into my heart.
I stand and listen to the still of the chill air,
And in my heart, I understand.

As the firth chill of winter sweeps through my body, the first frost of the season sprinkles the blades of grass, the first time my nose turns red; as all these tiny signs of winter commence, my own heart is touched with the same sense of coldness that tightens the layers of my skin. I suddenly recall that a whole year has gone by once again, this time adding up to the seemingly small, but truly large number six. It seems like the faster the days, months, springs, winters, falls, and summers go by, the farther I stray from the warmth, from the comfort, from the person I used to be.

Winter’s Light

I gazed past my porch onto the newly fallen snow.
The wind blew through my hoodie and I shivered.
The winter wind had long ago frozen my nose and feet.
I wrapped my arms around myself and continued to ponder

on a winter night long ago.
When the Ancients celebrated the true Light being given.
A newborn baby lying in a manger
far away
in Jerusalem.

I smiled remembering Christmas’ past.
The light of a child’s smile on my brother and sister’s face.
The smell of a newly cut tree,
laughter,
gifts being wrapped and waiting
waiting
for Santa Claus to come down the chimney.
Would He tell me that I had been a good girl this year?