Lightning is to blame, 
sparking wildfires in the forest, 
requiring full evacuation. 
No voice, no cries can be heard. 
Blackened trees stand in the shadows, 
a west wind stirs the embers, white 
ashes fall tearfully over the underbrush. 

In the aftermath, Jack Frost stiffens cooling 
streams that lace about the trees fashioning ice 
into a looking glass—encasing the forest, 
placing it in the arms of an early winter. 

There, a few emaciated trees are hard 
to discern, fading in rose tinted snow showers. 
Giant flakes come to rest on layers of rich foam. 
These flakes do not melt. They cover open wounds, 
nursing them with a blessed, white softness. 

See the inhabitants of the forest returning—
the squirrels, rabbits, and deer, 
all the birds of the air. See them 
gathering among the snowflakes, 
wanting to be home in their forest 
filled with the good snow. 

—After Suzette Lebenzon’s painting:

Ashes, Seaglass, and Snow (painting, 48″x30″; acrylic and paper collage) copyrighted © by Suzette Lebenzon. All rights reserved.
Appears here with her permission.

As Ms. Lebenzon wrote on Instagram (6 January 2024):

“...my first work combining painting and collage. I created all the collage pieces by painting on paper various textures and colors. It’s part of my journey discovering ways to approach representing the woods. This piece Ashes, Seaglass, and Snow depicts my childhood fascination with the great Halifax Explosion of 1917.
My father’s family immigrated from Nova Scotia. I created
my own family history around this event....”

Suzette Lebenzon

is a contemporary painter who lives and creates on Cape Cod. She was a recipient of a Mass Cultural Council Unrestricted Artists’ Grant. She is a Signature Member of the National Association of Women Artists. Her work can be seen at AMZehnder Gallery in Wellfleet, MA; and the bblg gallery in Smithtown, NY.

Artist’s website: https://www.suzettelebenzonpaintings.com

Joe LaCroix

has been writing poems since he retired from teaching twenty years ago. He has participated in adult writing classes at UMass, GrubStreet of Boston, and local poetry circles. His work has been published in Emmanuel Magazine (January/February 2021), Bridgewater Review (Issue 33:2, 2014 and Issue 39:1, 2020), and Cape Cod Times (2023); and has won second place in the 2023 Altrusa Poetry Contest. Joe lives in Massachusetts and enjoys walks on coastal pathways and marshes. He and his wife have three grown children and six grandchildren.