Hello Love

After Wendell Berry's 'Like Snow'

Hello Love,

Isn’t February all about love? I hope so. I’ve always believed it to be true.

This month’s Inkling challenge comes from Molly, who found something from Heidi that passed on this prompt from Audrey Gidman: “Write a poem after Wendell Berry’s ‘Like Snow.’ “

I love Molly’s extra instructions, “ I’m not sure if this is easy or not, but it is short! I’d also add that you can just be inspired by this poem and not go word-for-word in your substitution. Or go rogue and feel free to interpret the prompt in any way that you want! Write about snow! Get inspired by another Wendell Berry poem! Or even choose a totally different prompt from the list. All’s fair in writing :)”

I was inspired by Boris Kustodiev’s 1900 pencil sketch originally titled, Дети. It’s in the public domain on wikiart.org. This study and sketch reminded me of snow.

After Wendell Berry’s Like Snow

What if I become a pencil
softly sketching in flowy graphite lines
smudging here, blurring there, witness to work in progress.

Linda Mitchell 2/6/26

Catch up with other Inkling takes on this prompt:
Mary Lee Hahn @ A(nother) Year of Reading
Catherine Flynn @ Reading to the Core
Molly Hogan @ Nix the Comfort Zone who is hosting our round up today! Thank you!
Margaret Simon @ Reflections on the Teche
Heidi Mordhorst @ my juicy little universe