First Snow.

First Snow

   Winter boots taped at the edges of last year's velcro
   three socks pad the toes
   hands in last year's mittens
   like the socks don't match
   The laces tied, hats secured
   bedraggled soldiers stand ready for inspection
   damp cheeks flushed crimson ready for desertion
   Release, Release
   My voice pitches last minute instructions and I see
   the multitude of patchwork colour fly high
   and float upon the white like a beautiful exotic bird moulting
   as these young warriors run full tilt to the wind
   their bodies bare thrust upon the snow howling

Julie Hedrick, daughter of artist Robert Hedrick, was born in Toronto. She studied at the Nova Scotia College of Art and moved to New York City in 1984. Represented by the Nohra Haime Gallery in New York City, she has exhibited in Toronto with the Leo Kamen Gallery, the Art Gallery of Ontario and the Mira Godard Gallery, as well as exhibiting her paintings internationally. Her poetry CD, Depth Perception, can be found at the iTunes Music Store. Hedrick is the subject of the film Julie of the Spirits by Venezuelan filmmaker Isabel Barton. Currently she and partner, Peter Wetzler, are collaborating on their second scored poetry project called The Love Poems Seven Colours, which they began at ArtScape-Gibraltar Point in 2006. Their daughter, Ariadne Wetzler, is directing a film titled Red using one of the love poems. The books Julie Hedrick currently has by her side are The Soul of Rumi, translation by Coleman Barks, Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje, Green Sees Things in Waves by August Kleinzahler, Writings by Agnes Martin, Mark Lombardi Global Networks, an exhibition catalogue by Robert Hobbs and The Prophet's Camel Bell by Margaret Laurence.