DANGER! THIN ICE
Our lagoon
is first to freeze.
Long and less deep,
beside a Great Lake.
On sun sparkled ice
fall-fattened geese
land and slide,
not so gracefully,
then plop down.
I drop onto the
wooden bench.
My winter jacket
of down feathers
slowly absorbs
the cold bright sky.
GOD ANSWERS JOB*
You ask me, why.
Who can give birth to ice?
Who begets frost from the sky?
Who can kiss
water to stone?
Whose breath alone
can freeze the abyss?
*Job 37:10; 38:29-30 in paraphrase, with poetic license
Photo: Queen’s Lake Nature Reserve, New South Wales
by Christopher Hill at Wikimedia Commons
THE WOUND THAT HEALS 
I love this poem pairing, particularly the final line in each poem. I take the first poem as an experience in the Imagist manner and the second a commentary on faith and questioning.
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Thank you, Liz. You are right on!
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You’re welcome, Mary Jo! I wasn’t sure . . .
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I appreciate your poet’s perception. Trying to reconcile my observation and contemplation of nature with its Author has taken over a year to work out. 🙂
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Mary Jo, excellent pairing and excellent “Thin Ice” poem — including that poem’s alliteration and your interesting mentions of both geese and down feathers.
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Thank you, Dave! I appreciate your attention to poetic devices.
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“It’s God’s breath that forms the ice, it’s God’s breath that turns lakes and rivers solid” (Job 37:10; TM).
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You’re right, Silvia! I’ve added this reference which is clearly part of the poem. 🙂
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Good pairing combo, Mary Jo. For reasons unknown, I enjoyed the first one the most.
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Thank you, Frank!
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Excellent pairing. I love your poetic licensing.
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Thank you, Tim. I have good source material. 🙂
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Each word perfectly chosen, my dear Mary Jo …as we let go of questioning.
So beautifully written. xoxo
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You’ve grasped the intent, my friend. From a mundane wondering of why we can’t withstand the cold to the profound theodicy found in Job. Thank you for your kind words, Marina.
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My pleasure, my dear friend. 🙏🌷
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A perfect match my Friend.
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Thank you! My inspiration comes from the creation and the Creator.
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🙏
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Beautiful image & words.
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Thank you for your kind words!
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The beauty of poetry is that it takes us to a place that once was, or offers a vision of a future iteration. Most of all it centers me in the moment, a pause. I am walking with you by the lagoon that has the sheen of crystallized water. I hear the snow crunch under my boots and the sounds of geese descending. I experience that marvelous sensation of winter coldness that warms me with memories of childhood.
A wonderful reflection, Mary Jo. You have responded to Job 38:19: “What is the way to the abode of light?”
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Oh thank you, dear Rebecca. Writing poetry and having a reader respond to imagery in such a personal way is extremely rewarding. I so appreciate your taking time for contemplation. Such moments and pause can be healing.
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Always a joy to walk with you, Mary Jo!
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I was pulled in to sit on the bench and ponder. Great picture for context. Love the comments.
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Hello, Gary! Thank you for sharing in my contemplation. I was able to find a photo which had the right aesthetics even though the resolution wasn’t perfect. The comments are definitely heart-warming.
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Amazing and so awesome post dear friend! Too good👍🤗
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Thanks for your visit, comments & likes. 🙂
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My pleasure dear Mary! You deserve all this.
By the way I also have my page so please do visit that also and if you like my work then you can also support by following me too!🙏💕😊💞
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I see that you celebrate kindness and other virtues. 🙂
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Thank you so much Dear Mary! I’m so glad that you liked my work. You are a very kind hearted person.
Nice to meet you Dear! Have a nice day. Stay happy and Stay Connected dear!💕🙏💝😊
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Wow! I was really moved by these poems! They are a perfect pair! The way you have dovetailed the details is incredible. “Who can kiss water to stone?”; this line is powerful; words do carry weight; the weight here is perfectly understood. (Job 37:10) God, the one who can turn water to stone, has created our world with a ‘cold blue sky’, which permeates our very beings. Yet, we are at peace, because we understand that it is God, and God alone, who makes light, water, and ice. In life, the ice is ‘thin’, but we need not fear. Our God walks with us upon the water and upon the thinnest ice.
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Thank you so very much for engaging with this pairing, Linda. I deeply appreciate your contemplation and praise God along with you.
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Thank you for sharing these poems with us…early Christmas gifts for us to open!
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With gratitude, you’re welcome. 🙂
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