Nichiren in Snow at Tsukahara by Utagawa Kuniyoshi

We'll be appreciating this moment in time together. The winter holidays are over, and we're beginning a new year. What is our relationship with this moment in time, this winter season, the year 2025, this period of our lives, this day, this moment? What do we want to embody right now in the world? Particularly in cold snowy climates, winter is often a time to make and share stories and poems. We’ll be using poetry to help guide our reflections. If a poem has been speaking to you lately, please bring it to share!

Email gatheringround.seattle@gmail.com for any questions, and to receive the Zoom link.

Last year changed its seasons
subtly, stripped its sultry winds
for the reds of dying leaves,
let gelid drips of winter ice melt onto
a warming earth and urged the dormant
bulbs to brave the
pain of spring.

We, loving, above the whim of
time, did not notice.
Alone. I remember now.

-- In Retrospect by Maya Angelou

Accessibility: We are gathering on Zoom with automated captions. We read aloud comments typed in chat. Cameras are optional; most of us participate with cameras on to help build community. Please email gatheringround.seattle@gmail.com with any access needs.

Image: a painting, a man walks in snow by a Japanese village along a coast