Legal Commentary

my snowman (r)evolution

By David A. Giacalone

- click to see the Snow Shark cartoon and the entire snowman oeuvre of Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes.

No, we haven’t resumed our legal-ethics or political punditry. Indeed, more than ever, I’m resolved to only post items that I enjoy compiling, creating, sharing. And, right now, that means having fun with the snowman theme.

one smirking snowman
and one
hatless scarecrow

…………… by dagosan

in the howling wind
under the full moon
the snowman, headless

…….. by George Swede from Almost Unseen

- over 50 winters of Giacalone snowmen -

Snowmen have always delighted me (especially after being reminded, as an adult, by both Calvin & Hobbes and Snow Buddha of the layers of symbolism and mischief to be found in these homemade, temporary statuary). The photos above were taken half a century apart. One features Your Editor (a/k/a dagosan) with his siblings proudly displaying snowmen largely constructed by Mama G (larger here). The other is my niece, Elisabeth, which she built with her dad.

naughty child?
instead of his chores
a snow Buddha

….. by Kobayashi Issa - translated by David G. Lanoue

A few months ago, my brother Arthur, who lives in the Buffalo Snow Belt region, was bemoaning his fate as a Baby Boomer, who came late to parenthood and has two children in grammar school who still need major assistance constructing their snowmen. He pointed out how much work — bending, rolling, lugging, lifting — is involved in making two snowmen at a time.

Last Thanksgiving, I mentioned Arthur’s complaint to Mama G. She scoffed, pointing out that she always had to make three snowmen at a time. Being my mother’s son, and despite a lifetime not defending my older-twin brother, I immediately reminded her that Arthur and his knees are three decades older than she was the last time she made three snowmen. Then, weary just thinking of all that labor, the defense rested, point made and taken.

small sad face
in the puddle –
last weekend’s snowman

…………….. by david giacalone - Simply Haiku V4N3; a procession of ripples anthology (p. 18)

- click for more snowmen haiku from dagosan’s haiku diary

winter fog
i stub my toe
on the snowman

below zero?
sparrows peck
the snowman?s nose

………… by ed markowski
“below zero” - Simply Haiku (Summer 2006, vol. 4 no. 2)

- Coming later this Weekend: More Snowmen Tales and Haiku -

So, please come back and scroll back down to here.

Full post as published by f/k/a . . . on February 22, 2008 (boomark / email).