In the Bleak Midwinter

I love this haunting Christina Rossetti poem and really enjoyed singing it at school.

Whenever I see the bare tree branches and the cold winter skies behind them, I think of the title and the bare branches add to the cold, chilly winter feeling, making me shiver.

However, life would be really boring if all trees kept their leaves all of the time. Trees measure the passing seasons and their bare winter branches are part of that amazing year round process.

It also occured to me that sometimes, if we stop to look, the bare branches have a beautiful look, like the patterns they make were designed by an artist. This came to mind as I was passing by the Jardins du Luxembourg in central Paris. I really liked the crazy branch patterns that are contained in the shape and form of the trees in this avenue leading into the gardens and the watery blue winter sky behind the branches looks beautiful. No snow like in the poem, (it's been and gone and no doubt will be back) but this winter, don't forget to look up and you'll be humming the song before you know it.