It got cold over the weekend, oh my did it. Bitterly cold, icy cold. Face-hurtingly cold.
And it started with a fairly major snow storm system (the weather prognosticators even named it), which finally covered up the bleh brown and gray thing we’ve had going on since December, so everything is gloriously white and coated with enough ice to shimmer and glint in what little sunlight we’ve had. It’s a slightly inconvenient sight for sore eyes.
I wrote this song a couple years ago after a similar snowstorm/arctic blast that left us all breathless. This time of year can be . . . interesting, yes, we’ll call it interesting. [UPDATE 2022: This year it happened on Solstice night, and they called it Elliott.] [Update 2024: It’s January 15 and we’re in the … umpty-somethingth day of awfulness with 25″ of snow making life fun, and dangerously, deadly cold temps, and I’m just calling it Bitch.] We’re about to turn the Wheel of the Year again, with the celebration of Imbolc, sometimes known as Candlemas, or even Groundhog’s Day. The days are lengthening, it’s light until almost 6PM now, which seems way later than 4. And even though you can’t see buds on trees or birds coming back or hibernators popping out to greet her, we know the Maiden is getting ready to ride out in full regalia. We can feel life stirring, sort of like someone moving from deepest sleep to the lighter sleep of morning. I thought it would be appropriate to post this as we contemplate the coming of Spring and the rise of the Unconquered Sun.
Bright blessings of warmth!
Bitter Beauty The year has turned And though the Sun’s returning The cold grips us hard Without quarter, without mercy And snow softly lies Because the Winter King Still loves the Maiden fair He’s at his zenith now And he’s showing us his power The Air his to command And the Northern Mother answers Her pale sprites rise And twirl in the twilight Sky as it glows toward the dark Ah, bitter beauty, sparkle and bite Left in the wake of the Longest Night But at the end of the tunnel there is a light Around and round it goes He holds on tight But his grip is getting weaker He knows this can’t last So he gets a little meaner And Death stalks the night Animals and people Are escorted to his black and white land We mourn at the loss And we wonder and the beauty And we wait through the dark For the coming of the Lady Drawing our chairs Closer to the fire We know the Light will triumph in the end Ah, bitter beauty, sparkle and bite Left in the wake of the Longest Night But at the end of the tunnel there is a light Around and round it goes
Thank you Alma for your Beautiful Bitter Beauty! It kept me in last Sunday as did the unplowed drive….and I must admit….a couple of football games, a trifecta as it were.
We always ENJOY your Tunage!!!
Blessings,
Reed
We’ll talk soon about a Workshop at Keystone: )
Thank you for your kind words, my friend! Yes! Adventures at Keystone sound great!
Thank you Alma for “Bitter Beauty”. I love the seasons and how they lead me in and escort me out. Your words are affective and your guitar playing is—-well, I don’t have the words except just beautiful!
Aw, thanks! I love the seasons, except for the extremes. Too hot, too cold, no thanks. But everything in the middle is fantastic. I love the different smells, the different character of the wind, the way the light changes so much during different parts of the year. All of it. But these extremes we’ve created are not at all fun. My hands don’t work when they get too cold.
Gayla, thanks for this gorgeous song, so rhythmic and visual. I loved the cyclical, seasonal feel to it as well as the refrain about “The Light” at the end of the tunnel – but in no way cliche. I’ll pass this on to my friends who will be greatly blessed by it!
Thank you! I’m glad you “resonated” with it! We are definitely heading toward that light now, so close, so close!