Cold

A poem about winter and it's grip on the natural world.

Cold.
The bare bones of the forest hang defeated,
Trembling limbs encased in winter glass.
The woods are captive, a hostage to this frozen day.
An elk lays beneath the canopy of snow,
Its matted fur twitches dully in the wind.
A casualty to this unforgiving season.
The world seems paused, it's breath held awaiting spring.
A dead place now, silence reigns.
Now and then, the groaning of heavy limbs,
The trees fight on against the weight of winter.
Hills of white encircle their trunks,
Like linen it pools loosely around them.
Far away, the brittle cry of a crow rips through the silence,
A raw and lonely sound.
Cold wind whistles through the forest,
Demanding the ethereal silence once more.
Stillness returns, winter endures.
Cold, always cold.

A.Wynters

Reviews

[Michael G. Smith]

I really enjoy your works. Your carefully chosen words accentuated with your brilliant phrasing set a mood catapulting my mind into a haze of poetry.

[Elie Marie]

This is really good. I like the way you write about nature.

[Gee]

A winter's poem by A Wynters,sweet.Who'd be an elk?Brrrrrrrrrrrrr.

[Joe M.]

I liked the subject matter and the message. Lines 2,3, and 4 seem wordy due to the use of the "The". Could these lines have been tied together into one visual message? I thought the line "the brittle cry of a crow ..." was nicely done.

[Audrey Wynters]

I was actually re-reading this poem today and did notice the overuse of the word "the". I am looking at a suitable revision.

Thank you for the feedback.

[Laura Lynn]

Wow, I wonder have you seen this elk in the snow, it sounds quite beautiful and impressive, you must be an expert on winter also! We have deer here, so I could see a deer, but only elk I have seen are on TV and in zoos, though the zoo here tends to keep African animals such as antelope from,

[Audrey Wynters]

I have seen elk many times before. I used to live in Canmore Alberta in the Rocky Mountains so in the winter they were everywhere. They are amazingly beautiful animals, and very big!

[ANTO]

A really bleak but beautiful scene - i could hear the trees creaking and see the fog of my breathing in the air - so very well described -
"brittle cry of a cow" - how do you come up with that - thats outstanding
I enjoyed this little (freezing cold) trip into the forest Audrey

[Audrey Wynters]

When I was writing this I opened my window to let the cold air in and closed my eyes and just let my body feel it. I could see my breath as well so it's funny you mentioned that :) It might sound odd but just sitting and feeling the cold washing over my skin, I felt the words come, if that makes any sense.

Thank you for the review!

[ANTO]

I kinda did the same with a poem of mines ' check it out - its called Tor dom Do Lamh. I closed my eyes and the words came to that - it freaked me a bit when i heard the music as well.
YVW

[coffeedigest]

I loved this, being from Syracuse it really struck me as absolute truth. The line "A dead place now, silence reigns." made me want to read it again and again. I enjoyed the flow and feel of the piece all around, can't think of anything bad to say about it! Great job!

[Audrey Wynters]

Thank you so much! I am glad you liked it. I am entering it into one of the contests on this site so it makes me feel good knowing someone has enjoyed it. Again, thank you.