Winter-Clad.
Tell me a winter-clad tale
of lanes ice-coated, pools
with floating fish in grasp
of sudden death, of misty
twilight's snow-blind cold
veiling sheep-dotted hills
and covering food of wind
howling in non-stop blast
on farmland and holdings.
Tell me of frosty-backed
cattle in safety's low stall
chewing cold cud, of fields
thigh-high in drifts, flakes
wildly piled around frozen
seedlings of stiffened rods,
of tough farming breeds at
hard spade-labour digging
in search of buried ewes,
of bleating lambs' hunger,
of calves losing a mother
in the stumble to milking,
of log-ovens kept warmly
heating black potted gruel
when all jobs are finished.
Tell me the story of never
say No when a going gets
tough, of folk whose hold
on tomorrow shines with
faith's star of hope, when
after bad-weather losses
shrugs of wide shoulders
just fastens worn jackets
and hatted steps forward
raw fingered yet willing
and ready despite freeze
of winter to battle again.
Clad in strongest resilience
such men and their women.
-
Author:
Fay Slimm. (
Offline) - Published: September 11th, 2017 04:51
- Category: Unclassified
- Views: 42
- User favorite of this poem: dusk arising.
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Comments9
Good write Fay. May the light that come with the snow always shine upon you.
A fine write Fay. Brrr, don't tell me of it just yet. lol. It's not Autumn yet, so me diary says!
Ah - will post it again when winter sets in for you dear friend. Tis a time of warm fires and livestock in barns.
Your poem reminds me of growing up in Chicago. These physical embodiments are certainly resilient, as is our survival instinct.
A 'chilling' season and man's will so well depicted, Fay!
Glad you got something of value from the read about winter dear Louis - many thanks for your comment.
Voice of experience shining through, well related ... fine writing
Faye, this is one of the finest descriptions of winter I ever read!
Ah - my sincere thanks Fred for this encouraging comment - - winter is ever open to poetry and so pleased you enjoyed this special version of its sudden appearance to farming communities.
As yiu know FAY I am a SHAPE / FORM POET ! Presenting verses as Regular Rectangular Blocks of pure poetry is impossible ~ but you did it ~ gently and without fuss ~ BEAUTIFUL ~ because you are FAY ! They reminded me of Blocks of Commercial Ice ~ so they perfectly complemented the subject. Autumn is perfect time to contemplate the harshness of a Cornish winter ! The real work begins when all the Visitors have gone Home. I am familiar with the Winter hardships faced by English Lakeland Sheep farmers ~ and your lovely poem "Rang a Distant Bell !" Thanks for another gem ~ Yours as ever BRIAN,
So grateful for your continued input to my humble efforts at verse dear Brian - - yes winter is hard to land workers the country over and they all deserve recognition for meeting the challenge with grit. - Glad too you liked the form I chose - i.e. the rectangular blocs of words - it seemed the right way to present hard frozen ground..
Tell me a tale, tell me. Oh you told this so well.... winter was here in all its stark crispness, frost in my whiskers and exhaled breath-mists, headlamps on frost, gloves and duffle coats (remember those). Call me a romantic but the pictures your words brought to mind. Thank you, very very enjoyable. Goes into my favourites.
Delighted the words brought back wintery memories for you my friend.Thank you too form putting it among your favs.
great piece of writing fay .. i love your style of writing .. you seem talented 🙂
winter does not care for its impact upon the land or on animals ... it just is .. winter , sadly it can impact negatively
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