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November Chills.
She sits, cold-stiffened hands warmed
briefly, with the rubbing together
of age weathered fingers.
Chills begin to associate themselves
with knees, slowly meandering towards
ankles innocent of any warmth.
Her slippers, poor value against the intrusion.
Outside the air bites with sharp perfection.
Trees unclothed, shiver against their
brothers, a few last falling leaves are stolen
by mists roaming listless, across
this forlorn November day.
This poem is so bleak it gave
This poem is so bleak it gave me a chill while reading it, and I had only to look out my window (although in January, not November) to see a real-time analogue to what you have described. Just as much poetic skill is required to describe this aspect of reality as it does to describe a sunny, warm day; and you have deployed your words powerfully and succinctly.
As for whether it appeals to several, or many, others . . . mass appeal does not validate or invalidate a poem. I don't know if you are familiar with the Poet, Wallace Stevens, who, during his lifetime, was a lawyer andi insurance company executive, more well know for his expertise on surety bonds than on poetry. His poems were considered difficult and lacking in much appeal, yet he was deeply and consistently appreciated by a "chosen few." During the eighties and nineties, I had the thrill to watch Stevens' star ascend while, correspondingly, Eliot's star had begun to descend. And now, forty-four years after receiving that advice to read him, I am still reading him.
By the way, your poem reminds me of Stevens' great, but very short and very chilling poem, "The Snow Man." I do not make comparisons to his work lightly; and I mean it as a compliment. Both you and Stevens capture, in ordinary words, the very chill of a bleak landscape. Your words not only have their sounds, they also convey what it feels like to be cold, just as Stevens' snowman poem did in 1921, and continues doing so to this very day. I think you should be very pleased with your accomplishment in this poem. And I am very impressed with it, although I may prefer to read it again when a bit of warmer weather has arrived in our region.
J-Called
Thank you so much Starward,
Thank you so much Starward, I'm not familiar with the poem you mention, I will look it up I'm intrigue. :-)
Wow. This is so good.
Wow. This is so good.
Thank you Wordman, I
Thank you Wordman, I appreciate that, iit doesn't seem to have appealed to many others though. sue.