Monday, November 24, 2014

Prelude to Winter




A tarnished pewter sky
peers through leafless branches.
Fog drifts and curls,

along the riverbanks and
hovers above the water.
Half a dozen geese float—

six dark shadows that
appear and disappear
as if they, too, were

mere mist and imagination.
The last forlorn light
leaches from the afternoon.

Suspended between seasons,
the days grow short;
the old year, feeling its age,

draws to a close.
Everything slows, quiets, fades,
until it seems the dreary days

will never end. Snow sweeps in,
making art of the drab browns,
the cheerless grays,

weighting the sad, dead grasses,
frosting every branch and twig
until the landscape looks luminous,

even on sunless days.
And when it does shine, oh! the brilliance
of it, the dazzling radiance.

There is beauty in the passing
of one season to the next,

even in grim November.

8 comments:

Friko said...

When I came to the end of the poem I was looking for attribution.
It’s yours!

It’s wonderful.

Anonymous said...

It's so true. It seems at the beginning of every season, it's my favorite, but by the end, I'm longing for the next.

Out on the prairie said...

Very nice,I see winter as a time of rest for all.

The Furry Gnome said...

I love it! As I sit here looking out at yet another day of grey November skies! But your words are so much more eloquent.

Brian Miller said...

smiles...lovely verse....each season has its merits...we are supposed to get our first snow tomorrow, so i guess autumn is really over...i will look forward to the hush of the snow...and the white canvas....

Hannah said...

God does have a way of beautifying everything. Snow covers over all the imperfections. And there is always the promise of new life springing forth!

Pauline said...

It is mine, Friko - glad you liked it :)

Barbara, me too!

OOTP, except when we have to shovel ;)

Furry Gnome - the gray can be beautiful, yes?

Brian, I love the snow in all its colors!

Hannah - I'm not a believer but I can appreciate the beauty anyhow. Thanks for stopping by to read and comment :)

Marc Leavitt said...

Fine poem!