SOLSTICE

The winter solstice

Sneaked in last night.

This morning

I look down the hill and across

The road at a verdant pasture

That rolls up to a stark woods

On a hill too steep for houses.

An old stag keeps his home there,

Lays down somewhere

In the wet leaves

And waits unchallenged

In the off season

For his wives.

A low pressure system is

Rolling into Tennessee from

The gulf, so gray droplets

drip from bare branches

In a quiet so thick

The new winter stays north

Biding its time,

maybe a couple of weeks,

Before it slides into place

And stitches a quilt of snow

To the ground

in a white darkness.

Reviews

[Lorry]

Well it may have sneaked in where you were last night Vol, but here it was on the 24 hour news for what seemed like at least 72 hours, thanks to that nutter magnet called stonehenge!
After watching the hoohah they made of it, I began to think of the cavemen and how that must have grunted their equivalent of an "ooh!" each day as the sun rose each morning and how people used to worship the sun, because it miraculously appeared and warmed us, so it was only right we started to sacrifice to the gods when things didn't quite go our way, reminiscent of Easter Island and look how that all panned out for them!
Fast forward to now and we're still prancing around worshipping a ball of fire for doing what it's meant to... and very badly at that. It should be called Earthfall, not sunrise... but why allow facts to get in the way of some nutters flouncing about in their nightgown and making a proper arse of themselves, all in the name of new age snake oil salesman.
(Hope it didn't come across that I am a non believer, but the only good thing that comes out of it is the feeling on seeing these deficients is that at least it makes me look a bit more normal! 😃

[Re-Pete]

that's it all right and quite eloquently painted with words. we had some snow a couple of days ago and now frigid air from canada has us shivering. a fine how do 'ya do - brrr.

[Eternity]

Hello, Vol. I read a work of yours offline but saw this and wanted to comment on SOLSTICE.
A few years ago when I was little, I hated seeing the cold set in.
But now that I'm older, it seems even relaxing though I know winter can be killing.
The endless nights are comforting.
Nice piece!
Did you see any more signs of that stag?

[Vol]

Hello Eternity!
Oh, yes. Once I was just out exploring the woods and followed a path where I startled him out of his bed under a cedar tree, and another time when he and a couple of his ladies startled me when I left the house in an early fog and they were grazing in my yard.
I am a Florida boy at heart, and HATE the cold, as well as the short days.
Pour thumbnail looks like you are in a hospital room, I hope you and yours are okay!
Vol

[Ern M. Yoshimoto]

hats off to you. this was enthralling. i liked how it begins with a bit of irony. The winter solstice /Sneaked in last night. it gave me a bit of a luagh, how clever these lines were. then the poem proceeds to paint us a picture. this was done very well. i could really see your surroundings, and we get a bit of a drama involving the 'old stag.' there is one in every town, i guess. it ends with a bit of pathos. the way the first snowfall is described evokes some strong feelings. there is so much layer and texture to this work. it really took me on a journey.

[Vol]

Ern,
Thank you for taking the timed to say so much. I have left my lovely home in Tennessee and now life in the much harsher Texas panhandle. It was a grave mistake ton leave.