With the holidays over and the quiet of winter settling in, I don't tend to start back to our morning routine of Circle time until mid to late January. Here, on the East Coast of Canada, January brings cold temperatures and plenty of fluffy white snow for us to enjoy. The last week of the month I add in a few Candlemas/Imbolc, and Groundhog verses so they are familiar when the special days arrive in early February. I hope, as always, that you enjoy these lovely verses, songs and poems with your family this winter.
Good Morning Dear Earth
Good morning dear earth
Good morning dear sun
Good morning dear stones
and flowers everyone
Good morning dear beasts
Good morning dear trees
Good morning to you and
Good morning to me
Morning Verse
The sun with loving light
makes bright for me each day.
The soul with spirit power
gives strength unto my limbs.
In sunlight shining clear
I revere, O God,
the strength of humankind
which thou has planted in my soul
That I with all my might
may love to work and learn
From Thee stream light & strength,
to Thee rise love & thanks.
Snowflakes
Oh where do you come from
You little flakes of snow?
Falling falling, softly falling
On the earth below.
On the trees and on the bushes,
on the mountains a far.
Tell me snowflakes do you come from
Where the angels are?
1st verse:
Flutter fingers overhead while turning around on the spot.
Flutter fingers downward; bend to the floor.
2nd verse:
Stand up and spread arms overhead like trees. Bring fingers together overhead to form a mountain. Flutter fingers overhead while turning around on the spot.
Jack Frost
Look Out! Look Out!
Jack Frost is about!
He's after our fingers and toes;
And, all through the night,
The gay little sprite
Is working where nobody knows.
He'll climb a tree,
So nimble is he,
His silvery powder he'll shake;
To windows he'll creep,
And while we're asleep,
Such wonderful pictures he'll make.
Across the grass,
He'll merrily pass,
And change all its greenness to white;
Then home he will go,
And laugh, "Ho, Ho, Ho!
What fun I have had in the night!"
The North Wind
The North Wind doth blow
And there shall be snow
And what will poor Robin do then?
He'll hide in the barn,
And keep himself warm,
And hide his head under his wing.
Poor thing. Poor Thing. Poor Thing.
See the Little Snowflakes
By J.D. Macey
See the little snowflakes
Falling from the sky,
On the hills and housetops,
Soft and thick they lie.
On the window ledges,
On the branches bare;
See how fast they gather,
Filling all the air!
Look into the garden
Where the grass was green,
Covered by the snowflakes,
Not a blade is seen.
Look outside the window,
All looks still and white;
Under snowy blankets,
What a pretty sight!
Candlemas, which takes place on February 2, is a day that we can celebrate the midway point between winter solstice and spring equinox. Waldorf families often make candles on this day to celebrate the longer days that we are beginning to see and to continue to provide warmth and light through the remainder of the winter. Making candles with pure beeswax is a lovely, sensory experience for children. Here are some verses to enjoy while celebrating this special season.
A Candle
A candle’s but a simple thing,
it starts with just a bit of string.
But dipped and dipped with patient hand,
it gathers wax upon the strand.
Until complete and snowy white,
it gives at last a lovely light.
Life seems so like that bit of string,
each deed we do a simple thing.
Yet day by day on life’s strand,
we work with patient heart and hand.
It gathers joy, makes dark days bright and gives at last a lovely light.
When Candlemas Day is bright with sun;
Then Winter’s power has just begun –
But when Candlemas Day is dark with rain
Then Winter’s power is on the wane!
Candle, candle burning bright,
Winter’s halfway done tonight.
With a-glowing, we are knowing,
Spring will come again!
5 Little Groundhogs
The first little groundhog digs a home in the fall,
And curls up all winter rolled up like a ball.
The second little groundhog comes out of his lair,
On February second to get some fresh air.
The third little groundhog looks up at the sun,
He then sees his shadow and goes on the run.
The fourth little groundhog at his dark shadow peeks,
He goes back to his burrow for six more weeks.
The fifth little groundhog hopes that skies will be grey,
So that he will know that spring is on its way
Groundhog Day
by Betty Jones
Bears hug in their cave so snug
Squirrels are restless in their hollow tree.
Fox family yawns and stretches in their lair.
Groundhog pokes his head from the ground.
Whiffs and sniffs and looks around.
Will or wont his shadow be found?
If it is, we all know
Spring is getting ready to go.
Hug self with eyes closed; smile
Make hole with one hand, wiggle fingers of other hand through the hole.
Yawn and stretch limbs.
Make large ring with arms and poke head through
Sniff, look around through the hole.
Nod head "yes", then "no". shrug shoulders
Nod "yes" and rise to squat position
Spring up in place with outstretched limbs.
