Monday, February 05, 2007

Finding Poetry on a Bitter Cold February Day
By Don Iannone

Bitter cold February wind
bites hard at my near numb cheeks
with its tiny razor-sharp teeth,
as I crunch down the driveway
to dig loose the now meaningless morning paper
from the crusty deep-drifted snow.
Fluffed up morning doves huddle
and peck slow motion
for half-buried seed under the icicled feeder.
Angry winds gather and howl
through the skeleton-like tree limbs.
Lonely songs they sing
about broken unfulfilled dreams
from somewhere long ago.
At twenty below, even the piercing bright sun
fails to permeate the artic air
that hovers thick like death.
For an instant, my mind warms
at the fleeting thought of spring
and fresh-born wildflowers.
But that too is snatched away
by the stinging wind,
that pours bitterness
on misplaced stillborn tears.
Trudging back to the house,
I resolve to build an even larger fire,
and sit in quiet reflection,
until a poem comes to me.
I feel one beginning to thaw.

7 comments:

Pat Paulk said...

20 below????? And I'm freezing my buns off at 30 above. Thanks for making me feel warm!!

Cerebralwaste said...

Very nice and appropriate poem Don on this frigid day.

Dan said...

I like your equanimity...

Don Iannone, D.Div., Ph.D. said...

Thanks Dan, Cebralwaste, and Pat.

polona said...

i could feel the cold just reading this.
and we're having real spring here which is disturbing as much as it's beautiful.

Russell Ragsdale said...

This is really lovely Don. Very tactile and visual. It affected the temperature in the room whilew I was reading it. I enjoyed this very much!

Sounds like your experience in Tucson was full of mostly effort. I had a wonderful time!

Kathleen said...

Beautifully done Don... I can feel the frigid weather cutting thru me!

Ahh... how lucky are we that have homes... and fireplaces on days like that!

Hope you are well... and warm today!

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