Tuesday 9 December 2014

POETRY JAM - QUIET

“Quiet is better than loud.” - Dieter Rams

Poetry Jam this week has set the theme of “quiet” for the participants of the weekly poetry challenge. My poem below is dedicated to the Northern Hemisphere readers who find themselves in the beginning of Winter…

Winter Reverie

Winter has arrived
Bringing with him,
The smell of decay: Rotting leaves,
Wet soil and the perfume of daphne.

Milky-white, still dawns,
With argent sun, feebly shining;
Plumes of grey smoke, evoking
Warm grates, hot buttered toast.

Lucidly cold nights,
Wet, shiny streets, on which
Only your footsteps echo, meandering
On the deserted, quiet, desolate footpaths.

Winter has arrived,
Clutching in his bony fist
Silken silences, fog-enveloped loneliness,
Cold, pure sheets and long, white nights.

22 comments:

  1. There are a few negative things associated with winter but still it has its own charm.

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  2. Ha, for living in the Southern Hemisphere, you definitely wrote vividly about how it is in winter in the Northern. Hemisphere. Truly, I do think that winter IS the 'quietest' season of all. I do like 'clutching in his bony fist' which describes it well.

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  3. luv the appeal to the senses in your poem; its just draws one in "quietly"

    have a nice Wednesday

    much love...

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  4. Such an evocative post - love the silken silences ...

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  5. This is winter indeed! Funny how the snow and the darkness just seem to muffle and dim everyhting.

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  6. Wonderful capture of winter and quiet. Although I live in a mild climate area (S California) I too can imagine a white winter in your poem.

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  7. Beautiful images and i embrace the wintery emotion on your words. This really captures the season.

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  8. Loved especially "Cold, pure sheets and long, white nights."

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  9. Gorgeous poem, though sad and wistful. It gave me chills reading it...

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  10. well you def nailed the silence that is winter...i rather like the hush of falling snow...
    but the deep dark of the season can def bring on the feel of loneliness

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  11. winter has arrived and in such a poetic way, well written

    Quiet Always

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  12. Daphne ,open fires, and hot buttered toast....lovely sentient winter images.

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  13. Beautiful and melancholic, perfect for winter... Lovely poem.

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  14. Nicholas,

    A fine cityscape, in your words. It feels cold from the view!! ''Bony fist, fog-envelopedloneliness.'...I'd like to experience the topsy-turvy idea, of an Australian Christmas!!
    Well captured winter quietness...

    Eileen

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  15. Oh, that last stanza is most memorable. I enjoyed the images in your poem!

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  16. Well winter has arrived too in my part of the world ~ I specially like this part:

    Silken silences, fog-enveloped loneliness,
    Cold, pure sheets and long, white nights.

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  17. yes the snow just quiets the air

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  18. fog-enveloped loneliness.

    Sometimes it is "solitude" which is a bit different. The cold sheets - yes, but only just in the beginning - the socks come off before the morning ;)

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  19. This poem sounded really nice as I read it. It enveloped some of the major points in winter that we always expect. The line "Plumes of grey smoke, evoking" reminded me of what it used to be like to smell the wood burning in the chimney. I don't have a wood stove anymore, so this was a nice memory reminder.

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  20. Winter surely brings a certain quietness, to listen to various other musics of life. Nice poem :)

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