Poem – Winter Love

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Winter’s End

It was a white morning,

a wintery morning.

Trees held their breath

and birds cawed,”survival, survival.”

I went out wrapped in layers of soft

against the brittle air throwing

stinging kisses against my face.

The sky was white and grey

like angry pearls.

And then – daffodil leaves,

green buds, strong,

pushing out through

the white layer of snow.

The daffodil bloomed in my mind,

the yellow opening, the promise of sun …

in that moment,

the brittle morning broke.

Snow White

They say she had

lips as red

as roses,

to speak with life

to speak with love

to speak with a full, red heart,

eyes as bright

as stars,

to see the light

to shine the light

to connect earth and sky,

hair as dark

as ravens,

to fly above

to soar through night

to love the black river,

and skin as white

as snow,

to remind us of

the strength

of the rose.

Feathered Message

Feathered, she whispered.

Feathered, she winged.

“The night is leaving the land,

you know.”

I was curled up

and blinked slow

and sleepy.

“What, Spring is coming?

The air tastes like snow.”

The owl regarded

me with yellow

moon eyes.

“Who will you be in the sun?“

Then she spread her

white wings

and with the winter

was gone.

Ice Dragon

Ice dragon
rears into
the soft
of my heart
again,

fanged and
shivering,
old enemy,
old friend.

How well it
knows me,
finds just the
right place

to divide me.

I turn blue,
live in an igloo,
drinking
frozen tears.

Suddenly it
leaves,
my igloo melts,

I’m thrown into
Summer again.

So much gold
after only blue

I am blinded
and I cannot
remember
how to live
without
a coat.

I wasn’t sure about the end of this one- I kept fiddling with it. Any feedback on whether the poem breaks up and where that happens would be helpful.

Last Snow

Birds, twigs
in beaks,

busy as a
flurry of snow
in the not-yet Spring.

Dust motes
floating, falling
blowing horizontal,
busy bright
in the light
of the sun.

Yellow tulips
on my windowsill –

Winter holds
to snow bones.

Lengthening days
welcome the flight
of birds, of us.

Others stop here.

Snow, busy busy
covers all who
choose to remain

those who are
not fleet-winged

those who are still,
asleep.

After warmer weather the snow has returned to Cambridge, UK. And this is to those lost from the world this winter, claimed by the season.

Black Cat

Black cat
and your moonlit
shadow

I haven’t seen you
since the
summer came

when the moon
rises and your
milky eyes
throw winter
over the hills

I’ll say your name

and we’ll walk
through the darkness
together again.

Winter Fire

Even fire sleeps
through a veil
-winter sun

Winter hill
white horse cresting
– moon in mist

First winter ice
on my back
-a cascade of stars

Winter has begun here in the UK, leading to misty evenings and dark nights. The sun spends more time in other places, and we are kept company by the moon.

I hope you all enjoy these haikus (maybe while drinking a hot cup of tea)!

Daffodil

I tremble
in Winter’s grasp
icicle teeth
and glacier claws
hold my yellow
struggling.

Snowdrops play
her game
calm and chill
they masquerade
in her colours
heads bent and still.

But I stand
yellow and
vibrant nearly
reaching Spring,
I reflect the flower
at the heart
of the sun.

So she keeps
me tightly, a
snow cat ferocious
every talon and tooth
on her trembling prey.

And I wait for
the dance of light
I know must come-
the sky-eyed girl
with mirrors on her
sleeves twirling flashes
into Winter’s eyes
until she retreats
banished in colour
and the world wakes again.