Observations in March

Late March 2009

Observations in March
*
On the southside of Asaph road:

 

Still to the eye, yet in motion
Root-legs play downward,
But freezing has taken
The Coltsfoots virginity;
Though their hearts are saved,
To make april bright-golden.

 

A redbreast, c***s its head
As it skates on frozen rain;
Vigilant eyes, seeking
Things that slither-that hide
Beneath half frozen mantles,
Which plate late winter
With cold circumstance.
*

Along the Charleston road:

 

February snow 
Rots in windrowed heaps,
Left to melt, and dry
(The snow-plows tedder)
Once, pure and white
Showing signs of decay
In streaks of scum,
And dots of road-gravel

 

Trash-can for fast-food
Boxes, and wrappers
Flung out plastic,
Beer-can metal
Ornament the mounds,
Where a deer leg emerges-
Rigor mortis

Makes stiff,

Its protrudance
Out of the drift;
Like its

Waving goodbye to winter.

 

 

 

Reviews

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

A beautiful poem that you aptly painted the changing of the seasons with your words. A wonderful piece that makes you visualise and feel the melting away of winter.

[Emma Joy]

This is a flow of winter scenes,their plants and creatures, the vista-d change of cold weather countryside.. mostly beautiful! Awful that deer's leg, yet plausible, there's terror and ugliness at any time.

'A redbreast, c***s its head
As it skates on frozen rain;
Vigilant eyes, seeking
Things that slither-that hide
Beneath half frozen mantles,
Which plate late winter
With cold circumstance.'

That's a superb stanza - can see it gilt framed in my mind!

[Poeticadia]

Nature survives the harsh winter... but can it survive us? The melting snow uncovers the full extent of our deleterious effect on nature (i'm assuming the deer is a casualty of a road accident here). I like the form of this poem, it just seems to melt, like the snow, until the final 'waving goodbye' to the season.

"Beneath half frozen mantles,
Which plate late winter
With cold circumstance."

I love these lines... a sort of hidden haiku with an exchange of syllable count for lines 1 and 2 (7-5-5). It says so much, so beautifully, in so few words.

[Poetic Beauty]

This is filled with beautiful imagery. I am longing for spring to be here.

[Judy Ponceby]

Wonderful write :) Sounds like a true gardner at heart with a keen eye. :)