Winter

as I think of it

As If the silence is frozen

And the first houses at far

Have lost their voices

Only the black calls

of crows lift

from flat water

As If I had slept

Under the snow

And lost all time

The air is heavy

White with orphans,

Blind and cold

As I hear my footsteps

On ice that breaks like a carpet

As If I am being followed.

Reviews

[James McFadyen]

Harrowingly beautiful. Perfect use of personification to give voice to a phenomenon that has none. You encapsulate the dark, sombre cadence that the season is renowned for brilliantly.

[Lyn Anderson]

For me, this is about how winter sneaks up on us even when we don't want it to -- and of course, many other things in life are like this.

[John Alexander McFadyen]

Breathless metaphors that describe your vision in such wonderful, expressive detail in a few lines!

[stars are far]

that is well done, i loved this..

[jacob erin-cilberto]

this rivals Shakespeare's poem of the same title...
in yours, the ice breaks...and we have the mystery of what is following the speaker...but the speaker could be moving toward spring...as with shakespeare's poem...you make us feel absolute darkness, the bitter, frigid personality of that season...i really love the stanza "As if i had slept/ under the snow/ and lost all time."

that is good stuff, Leslie.

[Ruth]

Leslie, you are one of my favourite writers here...the depth to your poetry is mind blowing! Abstract and unique, thrilling and lingering x

[Coyote Song]

The coldness of winter, the silence of that coldness would make any sound loud. Winter is often l ;ined with death, or the ending of all things. An excellent poem with outstanding imagery.

[V]

I like the metaphors in it like "white with orphans". Anyway, you have made an excellent choice of words that create an image that absolutely reflect the imagination of a winter's day.

[Tina Kline]

Your words paint a powerful picture of a winter landscape.
nicely done.