A Ghost From Your Past

Cold recollections, 
once lived atop the warmth of a wood stove. 
White cushions and ice
covering the earth where the land met the sky.
Snow sung like a meadowlark in warmer weather.

Far away, hot coffee sat on the stove 
whistling merry as the sun began to rise
and us with the sun;
begins the morning patter

Frosty mornings held your hand, 
covered the window with wet crystals.
Creating a silver palace, 
a throne for the ice princess

Sweet hum of mountains
blowing away, into the glacial weather.
Flakes longing to touch lily-white skin. 
Bare knees, cheeks and elbows,
prone to chattering.

The soft reverberations of snow,
Dew plucked feathers  
from dreary leafless, lifeless trees
murmuring the song of frost—an ancient carol. 
 
But the cold wind alone must keep watch
forced by the tide of atmospheric pressure,
beckoning us home to shelter
when the days shadows ran out.

One wonders whether the call of the storm,
the dark hurtling cries of morning and night,
tempted deception or honesty
dreams, apparitions, reincarnations, or both.

Early Winter In Montana

With renewable energy steadily increasing in the United States for the past decade, it’s become more popular for ordinary citizens to resort to alternative energy. There are many ways this manifests however, with different people choosing energy based on environmental cost and affordability. I spoke to several people who live off the grid and a solar company owner to understand their perspectives on alternative energy.

Mana Parker