Artist

Alexander Averin

Monday 20 December 2010

Winning Poem


If you would like to see my deepening snow pictures which I took yesetrday they can be found on my Photo Blog here.  The snow is ever more deepening as it is snowing again today.

I love to post wonderful poems and this one below written by Peter Swales is the winning entry in my writing group's very first annual literary competition which was judged by the poet Ruth Bidgood.   The standard of entries was very high but this is a very worthy winner.  I find it very soothing.   See if you agree.



Once More Amongst the Thunderheads

Once more amongst the thunderheads-
the heavy air, the
shallow shouldered hills.
A ‘ton dawn.
A Shropshire morning.
It is in the upstroke that the light catches;
each shivering stem,
minute-to-minute, whispering.
Swathes of wind roar across,
in circling waves.
Brief pillows of air indent the gold-
flying shadows darken the path,
from here to the hill,
from the hill to here.
We wait in the shadow of a scarred sycamore,
edging the field like scarecrows.
We are criminals to this passing car,
strangers in the quiet rural world.
But we steal nothing-
take only solace,
comfort, in that unborn mound, the reckoning hill.
It has lived with us for as long as we knew;
brothers before the mountain,
in the nodding end of summer, becoming old.

© Peter Swales

9 comments:

Vee said...

Yes, I like it. Sometimes that is the best that I can do for praise because words fail me all the time.

I visited your photo blog and found a lot of snow. The photograph of the fence shedding its snow stole is wonderful. They are all wonderful really.

The bike shed said...

Have a great Christmas, snow and all.
Enjoyed your blog this year.
I'm of to Wales tomorrow - brrr....

Marion Williams-Bennett said...

Such a lovely poem, so full of images and light..I loved this part:

But we steal nothing-
take only solace,
comfort, in that unborn mound, the reckoning hill.

Happy Christmas to you - snow and all!

Toni aka irishlas said...

Just as Marion stated, I love the phrase "we steal nothing, take only solace".

Yule greetings to you and yours. Thank you for posting all the lovely poetry.

Yolanda said...

I like it too. I hope you have a wonderful holiday.

Posie said...

A lovely poem Cait, I often look at the hills here and take comfort in the fact that they have been here for centuries and will be here for a long long time to come...Happy Christmas xx

ds said...

It's a lovely poem, Cait. Thank you for sharing it. A wonderful Christmas to you!

Margie’s daughter Leiny said...

A definite worthy winner. Love the snow photos. Did you get to see the Eclipse? we were so dissapointed that the sun did not shine in to the chamber in New Grange this year. Have a wonderful holiday season. Big hugs, Margie.

CAMILLA said...

A wonderful Poem Cait, thank you.

Shall look forward to catching up with all your lovely pics on your photo blog Cait.

xx