screen-shot-2016-11-21-at-4-56-19-pmLooking out the window;
A skiff of Michigan snow
Lies in “innocence” there
Like a story’s opening line.

“Once there was a,” maybe
Or “Long ago,” perhaps
Not a blow to the head
Or boot to one’s behind
But a silent invitation
To something still unspoken.

Tempting as it is to say
I’ve heard it all before
Or other cold clichés
I know the harkening sound
Is text nobody’s read yet
Or was it I who read it?
Sure, it must’ve been.

But here’s the thing, y’ see
(Or thing you hear, I sh’d say
Or read) Here is the thing
The res, the Sache, substance
Sold like a graveyard plot;
If sold to one who’ll rest therein,
T’s always ahead of time.

That snow, that soft white afghan
Lying, yet telling the truth
Invites my reading to begin,
To commence, “get out the road”
Always before it’s really begun.

A secret snow, like Aiken’s, but
Concealing nothing
Hardly hiding much of
Anything, or any thing not yet
Befounded as a thing.

Old Heidegger might say
It’s started snowing out, but
It is not yet thinging.

That cold wet invitation
To a story’s opening scene
Would herald a bleak midwinter
If it really had a voice
But reading, as I see and hear
It is a winter waiting
Not yet bearing footprints,
None of mine, at least.

I’ll step out soon.

The Imaginative Conservative applies the principle of appreciation to the discussion of culture and politics—we approach dialogue with magnanimity rather than with mere civility. Will you help us remain a refreshing oasis in the increasingly contentious arena of modern discourse? Please consider donating now.

We hope you will join us in The Imaginative Conservative community. The Imaginative Conservative is an online journal for those who seek the True, the Good, and the Beautiful. We address culture, liberal learning, politics, political economy, literature, the arts, and the American Republic in the tradition of Russell Kirk, T.S. Eliot, Edmund Burke, Irving Babbitt, Wilhelm Roepke, Robert Nisbet, Richard Weaver, M.E. Bradford, Eric Voegelin, Christopher Dawson, Paul Elmer More, and other leaders of Imaginative Conservatism. Some conservatives may look at the state of Western culture and the American Republic and see a huge dark cloud which seems ready to unleash a storm that may well wash away what we most treasure of our inherited ways. Others focus on the silver lining which may be found in the next generation of traditional conservatives who have been inspired by Dr. Kirk and his like. We hope that The Imaginative Conservative answers T.S. Eliot’s call to “redeem the time, redeem the dream.” The Imaginative Conservative offers to our families, our communities, and the Republic, a conservatism of hope, grace, charity, gratitude and prayer.

All comments are moderated and must be civil, concise, and constructive to the conversation. Comments that are critical of an essay may be approved, but comments containing ad hominem criticism of the author will not be published. Also, comments containing web links or block quotations are unlikely to be approved. Keep in mind that essays represent the opinions of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Imaginative Conservative or its editor or publisher.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email