A Book of the Seasons: December 25.

December 25

I standing twenty 

miles off see a crimson cloud 

in the horizon. 

December 25, 1851

Snow from the northeast

driving horizontally

fast whitens the ground.

December 25, 1855

Strong northwest wind forms

picturesque snow-drifts behind

loose open stone walls.

December 25, 1856

Full of soft pure light
western sky after sunset,
the outlines of pines.
December 25, 1858

Western sky full of
soft pure light after sunset,
the outlines of pines.
December 25, 1858

Outlines of the pines –

the light of the western sky

now after sunset.

December 6, 1858

Now after sunset

the light of the western sky –

the outlines of pines.

December 6, 1858

Here alone this cold

winter day on the shore of 

our frozen river. 

December 25, 1859

Seeking its food here
alone this cold winter day,
its note meant for me.
December 25, 1859

December 25, 2018

December 25, 2019

December 25.

A Book of the Seasons, by Henry Thoreau
"A book, each page written in its own season,
out-of-doors, in its own locality.”

~edited, assembled and rewritten by zphx © 2009-2016