winter wonderland
the quietness and beauty of snow
first moon, seventeenth day, 2026
after attending the Writers’ Circle meeting:
library aisle
the quietness of snow
out the window
ah it was just so lovely. it was just perfect… the quietness… the smell of the books… the snow… i could have stayed there all day… i walked around the aisles aimlessly. i’m not really looking for any particular books. i just find it fun doing that in a library. it’s always an adventure looking at the rows of spines and finding something that put a spark in my eyes. like this animal spirit guidebook, which i am actually quite interested in. i love reading about the meanings of animal encounters since i see a lot of them whenever i go outside.
one of the most important symbolisms for me is the heron. you know, i fold paper cranes and the closest animal to that is the blue heron, which i often see at my favorite bridge. i always see them during a key moment in my life. they definitely mean something.
after walking about, i went to the library’s secondhand bookstore. it was actually my first time there! i didn’t know they sold books until today and that’s because i gotta admit i was kind of shy to walk to that room as it was kind of out of the main walkways haha. but i mustered up the courage today and bought a book and some magazines for s very, very low prices!
all these for just $2! such a great deal! and i’ve always wanted to have another book about birds since i had one encyclopedia about them when i was a kid but we had to give them away when we went here the U.S. so this really made me happy.
first moon, nineteenth day, 2026
i almost didn’t go out today, i was so tired… as if all the things i did these past few days finally caught up to me. i’ve been lifting heavy stuff from work and i’ve also been reorganizing my room and assembling my new desk; i really felt the limits of my muscles.
but i’m glad i went for a jog because it was so beautiful outside. it was a winter wonderland! everything was blanketed with heavy snow, and the blue sky was filled with puffy and wispy clouds. i couldn’t jog straight as i had to stop every five seconds to admire the beauty of everything.
if only i could rest
like the clouds on the branches
snow
of course, whenever there is snow, especially with the snow-laden trees, i just had to go to my favorite bridge. i just know that it looks magical there and i was right! ah it’s as if i was transported to a fantasy land when i saw the snow-covered brook… it was so lovely…
powder snow
between my praying hands
i let them go
towards the end of my jog, a wind blew above me:
a pine tree
kisses me
with snowdust
first moon, twentieth day, 2026
after my sister’s medical appointment, we went to the library, which is on the other side of the street, to print some of her documents. it was so cold that we ran as fast as we can!
winter wind
i let my sister borrow
my winter hat
i bought more books! i just feel like i’m in a candy land whenever i walk into the library’s bookstore. everything is a dollar!
first moon, twenty-second day, 2026
on my way to the grocery store to buy some ingredients for taco friday:
snowy pond
gulls and geese flock
around a lady
so many birds on the frozen pond! very magical. there were even two swans on the far end. seeing the lady feed them made me want to try it as well. i’m thinking of buying bird seeds… or maybe veggies like green peas… we’ll see…
in a quiet afternoon, just before i went to work.
leaning on a windowsill
talking to a squirrel
in a bird feeder
i managed to get close to Gwendolyn the 4th! i always wanted to try showing myself to her whenever she’s in the bird feeder but i didn’t really want to risk scaring her away. today, i tried doing it slowly by making sounds here and there at first. thankfully, everything went fine!
about the author
Thomas is the creator of a wish that bloomed in fall. he is also a haiku poet, origamist, and a squirrel whisperer. he loves spending time in nature and writing poems about the little things in life.
a wish that bloomed in fall
a heartwarming slice-of-life story about Emma, a girl who meets a cute little squirrel named Cinnamon, who will inspire her to pursue her dream of becoming a comic artist. you can read it here!
“Yet, even amidst the hatred and carnage, life is still worth living. It is possible for wonderful encounters and beautiful things to exist.”
- Hayao Miyazaki