A PORTRIATE OF WINTER 1800

Self Evident.

When icicles cling by yonder wall,

And Dick, the shepherd, warms his grasp,

While Tom bears logs through the echoing hall,

And milk returns in frozen clasp.

When Blood feels the bite, and ways turn foul,

Then cries the owl, with haunting howl,

Tu-who;

Tu-whit, tu-who: a note austere,

As Joan, with pot, her task endears.

When winds resound in boisterous glee,

And coughs outmatch the parson's tale,

As birds in snow sit pensively,

And Marian's nose, in red, bewails.

When crabs hiss fierce within the bowl,

Again, the owl's mysterious soul,

Tu-who;

Tu-whit, tu-who: a somber score,

While Joan, with pot, tends to her lore.

:: 12.29.2023 ::

Author's Note

The poem unfolds as a descriptive narrative, portraying a winter scene and the activities of various characters within it. In the first stanza, the poet describes a cold winter's day when icicles cling to a wall. Dick, the shepherd, is trying to warm himself, while Tom is seen carrying logs through a hall. The mention of milk returning in a frozen clasp implies the severity of the cold. The poet introduces a sense of hardship with the imagery of Blood feeling the bite, and the ways turning foul. The owl's haunting howl punctuates this gloomy atmosphere. The repetition of "Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who" adds a mysterious note, complemented by Joan's engagement with her pot, suggesting a domestic task that becomes endearing in the harsh winter conditions.

In the second stanza, the narrative continues with the poet describing the winter winds resounding in boisterous glee. Coughs are so prevalent that they outmatch even the parson's tale. Birds are depicted sitting pensively in the snow, and Marian's red nose becomes a poignant symbol of the discomfort caused by the cold. The fierce hissing of crabs within a bowl adds a touch of intensity. Once again, the owl's mysterious soul is invoked with its haunting cry. The repetition of "Tu-who; Tu-whit, tu-who" takes on a somber tone, creating a musical score for the winter scene. Joan, still engaged with her pot, is portrayed as someone tending to her lore, perhaps signifying a connection to traditional tasks or knowledge passed down through generations.

In summary, the poem unfolds as a narrative capturing the sights and sounds of a winter day, intertwining the natural elements with the activities of individuals. The repeated presence of the owl's cry acts as a thematic thread, infusing the poem with an enigmatic quality that enhances the overall atmosphere of winter's challenges and mysteries.

Reviews

[1809 Black Plague Decem..]

Dear, E.P. Robles, I do agree that you are a great poet.
But this is a little profound. I find it a pun.
But it hurts me. Because you allure to the 1800s and in winter,
the bite, and you failed to ask wilted thee, permission,
it seems to compromising, plagiarism. I see this a lot.
Please forgive me, if I'm wrong. But the poem details some of my work: September Rain and my Lestat writing. I haven't even evolved it, and you commence, again, forgive me if I say mistakenly.

====Mayard James Keenan aka Edgar Allen Poe aka Mishel Reyes.

[E.P. Robles]

I am very sorry you feel this way. At times I just write and I am sure there may be residual influence which is not on purpose. There is another poem I wrote and someone wrote some famous lines of a great poet that sounded very much like the poem I had written. I will take care to not have that happen again. Peace.

[E.P. Robles]

At times I feel sad. Because my poems are so cryptic but they exactly have perfect meaning to me. I sincerely mean for you too.