I thank God for the blessing of a daughter who loves and respects me. On top of that, I have a daughter who often thinks and writes about some pretty profound things. A poem she wrote recently touched me deeply. It brought back vivid and wonderful memories from a cross-country ski outing we shared after an ice and snow storm last year. In thankfulness and honor of Hannah and my God who gave her to me, I’ve included her poem below. Prayerfully you’ll be touched by it also.
Ice Storm
My father and I glide through the frozen forest
like two silent birds.
Breaking through the tangled branches
we try not to disturb anything.
Time has stopped around us;
all is still.
I see flashes of red;
realize they are berries.
Their lives are still in them,
frozen in their red centers,
captured like pictures in icy frames.
They remind me of the shortness of life.
Their brilliant color helps me remember
life is beautiful.
My father and I listen to the silence.
We remain still.
We watch our breath
puff up into the pale sunrise.
I cherish this time with my father.
Then a bird flutters across the path;
the moment is over.
As we return to our warm house,
I think about our time together
and how the icy air around me
grows a little warmer
because my father loves me.
Hannah L. Biermann
Photo by Todd Biermann Dec. 2013