Night Skaters

 

Last night I came back from downtown on the bus and walked home through the park. There were very few people on the paths; I was alone with the snow and the dark trees. On the white lakes below me, skaters moved silently; small notes on a large page of music, while under the lights of the rinks, sticks and blades thwacked and sliced: wooden sticks and steel brushes beating rhythms on the city's stretched, white, oval skin.

Comments

[Tom]

Oh! That is a touch of sheer magic.

[Rachel Barenblat]

Oh, so beautiful, Beth! Words and images alike.

I love On the white lakes below me, skaters moved silently; small notes on a large page of music and wooden sticks and steel brushes beating rhythms on the city's stretched, white, oval skin.

[Frances/Materfamilias]

Oh, the light! The dark! The caught movement! I love these shots. . .

[Chris]

You reminded me that I haven't been skating on the common yet this winter (a 5 year tradition!), something I'll need to remedy.

[Duchesse]

I love those raspy rink sounds, which carry so much better at night without the ambient traffic noise. Years ago I lived next door to a small city rink; a city worker on skates would flood the ice at night and sing spirituals while doing his work.

[Peter]

In the top picture, the pair skating next to each other seem to be rising above their respective inner, or former, Calibans.

It's inspiring how you catch these moments with a photograph and an equally redolent short text.

[Hattie]

Lovely winter night!