OLD MAN WINTER’S TOUCH

 

Old man winter’s touch

Transforms the landscape,

Trees wear a frosting

As if dusted by a baker

Snow fall blurs the edges

And disguises definition

Of familiar landmarks

And frozen streams appear

Like pure white ribbons

Casually discarded in the vale

MR GLISTEN COMES TO TOWN AGAIN

 

The snow has come, its falling fast

I dance around my room and cheer

Soon it’ll be time to build a snowman

The same one I make every year

 

When the snow is lying deep and fresh

I go to the cupboard in my room

Where I get his gloves, scarf and hat

And of course his Birchwood broom

 

Mum says “don’t you stay out too long”

But she knows that I don’t listen

She knows that it takes me some time

To build the perfect Mr Glisten

 

I start in the same place on the lawn

Where I make the body large and round

Then for his head I roll a smaller ball

Rolling it around on the snowy ground

 

Each year it takes me a little longer

As he rises up from the fallen snow

And soon he is standing taller than me

As like me each year he also grows

 

Down his front go the pebble buttons

From his neck down to the floor

And his stick arms wear his gloves

Which don’t really fit him anymore

 

Then I put on his scarf and hat

His Birch broom stands by his side

Marbles to make his blue eyes shine

And a stick mouth smiling wide

 

Finally the carrot nose goes in place

And I step back to admire at the end

Gazing at the happy snowman face

Then I say “Hello my old friend”

WINTER INSIGNIFICANCE

 

My breath plumed in the frost filled air,

As I stood in the hush of a winter night,

Beneath the deep velvet blue of the night sky,

Filled with a myriad of glistening stars

And while I stand beneath its majesty

My futile thoughts are lost in its enormity

and I'm suddenly startled

Not just by the staggering beauty

But by my own insignificance in its glory.

And as I stand beneath the heavens

I feel alone, hopeless and helpless.

While a bitter chill touches my bones.

I continue to walk on the linen shrouded land

Footsteps treading crisply in the white

And my breath still plumes, though less so

As the velvet curtain of night has gone

Hidden behind a dark blanket of cloud

And then the cold frosty night was no more

As the wind freshened against my cheek

And in that instant fresh snow began to fall

Seemingly silencing my footfalls.

Large soft flakes drifting haphazardly

Like confetti on a happy wedding day

Or cherry blossom in a perfect spring.

Soon it fell faster, then faster still

Quickly obscuring my footprints

And blinding my view, disorienting me

As a bitter chill again touched my bones

The wind now stung my face with snow

As the blizzard of bridle white blew at me

And I bent into the northerly gale

Head down eyes narrowed, almost closed.

I stopped briefly to catch my breath

And insignificance washed over me again.

I knew I must go north into the mouth of it

The silent hush was no more as the blizzard blew

And the strengthening wind whistled.

My feet no longer crunched on frost and ice

And the deepening snow slowed my progress

Each step I had to drag my feet from the snows grip

And with each step I grow wearier

Feeling hopeless and helpless again

Alone, insignificant and small,

Smaller than a single snow flake

Smaller than any of the snowflakes around me

A bitter chill again touched my bones

Then suddenly I am once more filled with hope

As I pass between the old wrought iron gates

And on into the city street beyond

And with treated pavement beneath my feet

I left the park behind me and returned home

HELD IN HIS FROZEN HAND

Jack Frost, with icy fingers,

Holds winter in his frozen hand

Until his thick winter cloak

Is spread deep across the land

WINTERS WRATH NEAR SWEEPS ME OFF MY FEET

 

Winters wrath near sweeps me off my feet

As snow and ice join the skin stinging sleet

Who would be outside during the bitter season

A sensible being would need a good reason

To be wrapped up in hat, scarf and glove

In the teeth of a storm and for me it was love

THE FIERCE WINTER GALES

 

The fierce winter gales
Howl all through the night
Whipping up the seas
And turning wave tops white
The poor souls at sea
On the dark winter night
In the teeth of the tempest
Feel it’s savage bite
And pray to their gods
To save them from their plight
As the gale blows through
On the dark winter night

IN THE FROST FILLED MEADOW

 

In the frost filled meadow

I watch the dawn’s first rays

Beginning to melt the frost

In the majesty of winter days