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January Ozarks

Bitterly invigorating

By Mother CombsPublished 3 days ago β€’ 1 min read
Top Story - January 2026
Image created in Gemini by the author

Cold, wet snow blankets the ground

❄️

Water rushing beneath a frozen creek

🧊

Rustling leaves swaying in the breeze

πŸ‚

Evergreen trees scenting the forest air

🌲

Forest denizens foraging for their food

🦌

Snow birds chittering in their flight

🐦

Overcast, clouds covering the sun’s rays

πŸŒ₯️

Tufts of sage grass standing tall

🌨️

Fresh snow lying pristine and white

β˜ƒοΈ

Low and lazily rolling, the Foothills

πŸ”οΈ

Wondrous, natural beauty, spectacular to see

πŸ‘€

Seeming cruel, yet stimulating the senses

fact or fictionFree Verseinspirationalnature poetryStream of Consciousness

About the Creator

Mother Combs

Come near, sit a spell, and listen to tales of old as I sit and rock by my fire. I'll serve you some cocoa and cookies as I tell you of the time long gone by when your Greats-greats once lived.

AB

Admin = ViM

LYLAS

Mike Judey Dharr Grz Jay

.

Reader insights

Outstanding

Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!

Top insights

  1. Compelling and original writing

    Creative use of language & vocab

  2. Easy to read and follow

    Well-structured & engaging content

  3. Masterful proofreading

    Zero grammar & spelling mistakes

  1. On-point and relevant

    Writing reflected the title & theme

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Comments (25)

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  • Doc Sherwoodabout 7 hours ago

    A very well-deserved Top Story! Testament to just how much a skilled poet can convey to us in a minimum of words. This mountain landscape, forbidding yet awesome, came to life for me with a sort of Robert Service intensity, as he was another who didn't prettify snow and ice as so many Christmas cards do. Here, as in his 'Spell of the Yukon' for example, the wild outdoors is a battle to survive - animals must "forage for their food," and people may not even do so well. Nevertheless, although "seemingly cruel," it's a breathtakingly beautiful natural wonder too and you really put that across. The overall effect for me was something like the opening of a classic western, where we're shown the big country in all its majesty. We Brits like the idea of there being such spectacular places, as everything's so small here! By the way, my friend likes a band called the Ozark Mountain Daredevils, so I guess they come from around there!

  • Dharrsheena Raja Segarranabout 14 hours ago

    Wooohooooo congratulations on your Leaderboard placement! πŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠπŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠ

  • Denise E Lindquistabout 20 hours ago

    Nice!! Congratulations on your top story!!πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰πŸŽ‰

  • Sara Wilsonabout 20 hours ago

    Congrats to you on your win! Love this piece!

  • JBaza day ago

    Almost wants makes me want to move back to the prairies to experience winters again….not quite but close

  • Imola TΓ³th2 days ago

    Winter does have the tendency to look cruel, but so pleasant for our eyes. Like your poem!

  • Stunningly cold. Well deserved top story

  • Harper Lewis2 days ago

    Love that last line! Congrats on the top story!

  • Seema Patel2 days ago

    Very lovely. I want to be there, not interfering with anybody's rhythm and just soak in. The AI art is so enchanting.

  • Back to say congratulations on your Top Story! πŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠπŸŽ‰πŸ’–πŸŽŠ

  • Jazzy 3 days ago

    Congrats on Top Story!

  • Congratulations on your Top Story!!!

  • beautiful...congrats

  • Paul Stewart3 days ago

    Oh Sharon, this is stunning. Congrats on Top Story!

  • Shirley Belk3 days ago

    loved this!

  • Lovely words and it's like that here at the moment, love the image too

  • Lana V Lynx3 days ago

    Loved this poem, Sharon! And impressed by the use of word "denizens."

  • Descriptive and beautiful.

  • Lamar Wiggins3 days ago

    Every line complimented the next. Beautiful work, Mother!

  • Sandy Gillman3 days ago

    I really don't like winter, but your words made the cold weather seem so nice 😌

  • Heather Hubler3 days ago

    I loved that you brought all the senses to life in this. Wonderful wintry, sensory poem :)

  • Great, from start to finish πŸ‘ πŸ’™πŸ©΅

  • Omgggg, a double 6W6L! I've missed this so much!

  • Judey Kalchik 3 days ago

    Such gentle lines. Visually lovely with your use of color between them. Each lines its own story

  • Pamela Williams3 days ago

    This evokes peaceful memories of my early days in the North. Beautiful.

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