Season of the Soul

When I first toured Alaska many years ago, I visited Denali National Park. The tour guide was a young Athabaskan woman named Jackie (Sadly, I do not remember her last name.) She was so knowledgeable about everything concerning the park: its history, the wide array of different animals, as well as the various flora. During one of the breaks, I asked her about what she did during the harsh winters when the park was closed. Her eyes lit up. She then told me that she loved the Alaskan winters and for her it was a time to hunker down and get away from the world. She was a writer who used the winter as a time to seek solitude and hone her craft. Jackie described winter as "the season of the soul." Ever since that trip I have always looked at winter as a time to turn inward. A chance to engage in deep introspection about life, death and the true meaning of living. While not religious, I am a deeply spiritual person. I do believe in God and the existence of the human soul. For me, we all are more than just our bodies with our brief time here on Earth. Not surprisingly then, one of my recurring themes in my poetry is winter. Having grown up in New England, I remember the long cold winters with their abundant snow. I am an avid skier and snowshoer. Having the chance to get out in the height of winter is one of my favorite things to do. I also take advantage of the slow pace of the season to do much reflection and introspection. Given all of this, I decided to call my sixteenth collection of poetry, "Season of the Soul." This collection includes poems about winter, spirituality, and the search for meaning in life.