Ode to a Grey Sky

We are entering the third month of impossibly grey skies, above freezing temperatures, a complete absence of snow, and unyielding rain in Scandinavia. The sky has been a homely shade of slate grey day after day unlike any I have ever seen anywhere else. For those of us who have not had an opportunity to take a trip outside of the region since late October, we’ve seen maybe ten days of blue sky. No exaggeration. The grey weather is affecting everyone to some degree. It is topic number one in most conversations, which usually start something like “I’ve never experienced a winter in Finland as warm as this in my entire life,” “This weather has been incredible,” “I can’t believe we haven’t had snow yet,” or “I guess global warming is really happening NOW.” Whatever it is, it has inspired me to write this little ditty to extricate my feelings about the weather. Writing the poem has helped me to feel better in the moment, but the weather forecast tells me when I roll over tomorrow morning at 7:00, with the sky as dark as night, the sun will rise above the clouds around 8:50, but the sky will still be the color of grey mush all day.

Where is the snow?

Where did you go?

I’m sitting here in Helsinki

Curled up with my binky

Watching the rain drip down the windows

Seeing people fight to walk forward as the wind blows

Outside, it is slushy and icy

Traversing the sidewalks can be dicey

My skis are in the closet

Lonely and unused, with no waxy deposit

How many more months of this must we take?

I can only hope the weather will soon break

Then I’ll see the clear, blue sky

Even it is cold and dry

I’ll put on my multiple layers and warm boots

To soak up the sun and get back to my roots

Maybe experience a proper Nordic winter

Instead of this awkward, miserable, seasonal splinter.

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