It is December again already, and as I look back, I feel like I am flying on the winds of time! Was it really last year this time that we were sighing in relief having put college applications on the ‘done’ pile for my youngest? And now, she is finishing up her first quarter as a freshman! So yes, I am certainly feeling that ‘time flies’ syndrome.

Regarding the phrase ‘winds of time,’ I will also talk about it a bit in this post.

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Poetic Sundays: Flying on the Winds of Time with Words

It is Christina Rossetti’s birthday on December 5th, and when I noted it, I instantly recalled one of her poems I read as a young girl in a English text books ages ago. It was Who has Seen the Wind?

In this poem, Rossetti effortlessly captures the wind’s duality: both as a tender caress and as an untamed force of nature. And I marveled at how, in simple yet profound language, she captures the unseen but deeply felt presence of the wind. It also makes one think about our belief in other unseen things, all those intangibles.

In another poem A Year’s Windfalls, Rossetti takes through the months of the year, using the wind often to show the changing seasons, and life itself in a subtle yet lyrical manner.

Today, I am writing a golden shovel using a line from another of Rossetti’s poems – Echo – which kind of delves into times lost and longed for. The line I picked – Come in the speaking silence of a dream

Golden Shovel: Whispers on the Winds of Time

Whispers on the Winds of Time
Memories of times gone by, they come
To me—unbidden, yet still welcome in
gusty winds at times, at others like the
Soft caress of dawn’s first breeze, speaking
To me in a voice as loud as the silence
That cloaks the world, a melody of
Love, loss, and of everything a
heart desires: fragments of a fleeting dream.
~ Vidya Tiru @ LadyInReadWrites

A Little About the Phrase: The Winds of Time

I love language, and its metaphors and similes and the rest of them! While “the winds of time” is not one I have seen used often as the metaphorical phrase it is, I did find many books, poems, songs, and other literary items using this phrase as the title.

Meaning

“Winds of time” is a metaphor, comparing the passage of time to a powerful wind that can change things significantly.

Just as the wind blows constantly, shaping and changing the landscape, the “winds of time” suggest that time moves forward relentlessly, influencing everything it touches, often without us being able to control or stop it.

It can evoke feelings of nostalgia, change, and the fleeting nature of life. The phrase often carries a sense of inevitability and the idea that time, like the wind, cannot be held back, that time is a powerful force affecting everything: causing things to age, memories to fade, and the world to change.

Origins

Its origins likely stem from literature and poetry, drawing upon natural elements like wind to symbolize time’s uncontrollable and transformative force. In Greek mythology, for instance, the god of time, Chronos, was often depicted as a winged figure, symbolizing the swift passage of time.

How to Use It

This phrase can be used in various contexts, such as:

1. Describing aging: “The winds of time have etched lines of wisdom on her face.” (Meaning: Her age was visible with the passage of time)
2. Evoking nostalgia: “As the winds of time carry us further from our childhood, we cherish those precious memories even more.”
3. Depicting change: “As the winds of time blew, our tiny town slowly transformed into a bustling metropolis.”: (Meaning: Over time, the town changed a lot)

Books and More With the Winds of Time

Mostly sci-fi books with this title, including one by James H. Schmitz, and another by Chad Oliver (from 1957 with a cool story!)

This musical composition for a wind ensemble:

and this song

Recently

On My Blog and On the Homefront

Since (and including) my last Sunday Scribblings, these are the posts that made their way out here:

• Thanksgiving Inspired Books: Food-Themed Reads to Relish and Love
• Sunday Scribblings #203: Beautiful Poems of Gratitude to Inspire Thankfulness

My son was here for the week, well – at least part of it since all of us spent the second half together in southern California.

We visited the Broad museum, and it is amazing. DH and I hiked up Mt. Roubidoux and it was a moderate hike (ease-wise) but stunning in views! I will post more about this trip in a future travel post (have been meaning to do those for a while)

Upcoming

On My Blog and On the Homefront

A few posts hopefully and it will be quiet on the homefront this week

This Week’s Celebrations

Literary Celebrations (close-to-it also!)

• Literary birthdays this week include: Elizabeth Berg and George Saunders on the 2nd of Dec; Joseph Conrad and Kate O’ Brien on the 3rd; Rainer Maria Rilke on Dec 4th; Walt Disney, Hanif Kureishi, Christina Rossetti, Joan Didion, and James Lee Burke on Dec 5th; Jason Reynolds, Joyce Kilmer, and Garth Stein on December 6th; Anne Fine, Willa Cather, and Noam Chomsky on 7th December; Horace, Bill Bryson and James Thurber on the 8th of Dec
• Literary month-long celebrations for December: Write A Friend Month, Read A New Book Month, and Learn A Foreign Language Month
• World Computer Literacy Day is celebrated annually on December 2 (started by the Indian company NIIT). It is also Special Education Day.
• The 7th of December observes National Crossword Solvers Day and National Letter Writing Day

Foodie Celebrations

• National Fritters Day is observed on the 2nd of December
• While the 3rd is National Rhubarb Vodka Day and National Green Bean Casserole Day
• Next up, celebrate with National Cookie Day on Dec 4th
• And Dec 5th is National Sacher Torte Day 
• Followed by National Gazpacho Day on December 6th
• And the 7th is delicious with it being National Cotton Candy Day
• With more yumminess on the 8th which happens to be National Brownie Day !

Other Observations and Celebrations

• December 2nd observes International Day for the Abolition of Slavery and National Build Joy Day 
• Followed by Candle Day, Giving Tuesday, National Make a Gift Day on the 3rd of December
• World Wildlife Conservation Day, International Cheetah Day, International Day of Banks, and National Dice Day are on Dec 4th
• While the 5th is International Ninja Day, as well as World Soil Day, Light up A Life Day, Walt Disney Day, and Krampusnacht
• December 6th observes Mitten Tree Day!
• National Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day is on the 7th of December.
• Then it is time to Pretend To Be A Time Traveler on December 8th! And since it is the 2nd Sunday of December, it is also World Choral Day and Worldwide Candle Lighting Day 

Wrapping up my Sunday Scribblings Flying on the Winds of Time

So dear reader, you have reached the end of this Sunday Scribblings! As always, I welcome your thoughts, comments, and suggestions about this post. Have you begun your planning for your holiday season, whatever and however you plan to celebrate? And do let me know if you plan to celebrate any of these mentioned celebrations this coming week/month?

Linking this to the Sunday Post over at the Caffeinated Reviewer and the Sunday Salon