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It’s only the start of the New Year, but the promised light of December’s Winter Solstice seems to have temporarily disappeared behind unmovable grey clouds. Along with cold temperatures, lingering patches of dirty snow offer little consolation to already Covid-bleak days.
Blue sky illusions scrape Winter's gray haze—slogging numb down Salina
by Jay Cox (Pompey 2007)
But for the brief moments of early morning or late afternoon sun, cloudy skies remain the dominant trademark of Winter in Central New York. While a backdrop of grey and cold is not wholly unexpected this time of year, we certainly could use some clear, blue skies — and even some snow!
City lights sparkle morning glow--snow falls--silence smoke stacks touch the clouds
by Cynthia Perrine (Fabius 2011)
When endless grey cloudy days turn into endless grey cloudy nights, missing a clear night sky full of stars or the wondrous phases of the moon can be downright sad! It was certainly a disappointment missing the rare alignment of Saturn and Jupiter in December, wasn’t it?
Meteor showers Aurora borealis Hidden behind clouds.
by Norman Cohen (Jamesville 2011)
As you might expect, writing haiku can bring a whole new perspective to these two words, grey and cloudy. And, it’s a perfect antidote for cabin-fever made harder again this year with the pandemic lockdown!
Mostly cloudy with a chance of grey and cold - I've got those Winter blues!
by Rosalyn M. Carroll (Manlius 2017)
Speaking of Winter blues, our featured haiku poster from our 2018 Series is sure to warm you up! Alluding to Syracuse’s well-tuned reputation as a music town, poet Dennis Kinsey suggests, “….Winter, that’s when you feel like you need some music!” For artist Jacob Rivera Navarro, former Syracuse University Illustration Student, “….Music always felt like an escape from the [Syracuse] tundra to me. This is why I related so much to this haiku.”
Cold in Syracuse , I need the Blues to warm me. Summer is for Jazz.
Along with music, adding an artist’s eye to your haiku can easily turn grey skies from dull to stunning!
Fronts collide to paint Phenomenal cloud skyscapes Swirling overhead
by Pamela Lynch (Oneida 2013)
As these few haiku from our archives show, writing Haiku provides a way of expressing deep emotions while seeing the world around us from a variety of perspectives. So, when the grey and cloudy skies of Winter make you blue, write a Haiku!
Stay warm!
Rosalyn M. Carroll for Syracuse Poster Project