Blizzard

The wind howls. Trees,
storm-lashed,
whip towards the unyielding ground.
Snow
drives past my window
seeking victims
to embrace.

I am warm. Safe.

I gaze anxiously outside.
I think of those at sea,
far from sheltering harbours.

I am comfortable. Secure.

I listen for returning footsteps.
I think of those far away,
whose children cry themselves to sleep from hunger.

My fire is a cosy luxury.

I long to gather my loved ones.
I think of the lonely, the refugee, the one
who has no home.

My heart howls. Thoughts,
storm-lashed,
whip towards an unyielding world.
Cold injustice
drives me onward,
seeking courage
to embrace change.

Written on March 11th 2013, as a snow-laden storm lashes Guernsey, shops and services close, and people struggle to get home.

Winter

“I’m reclaiming Winter!” Gran announced with a smile
I wondered: I hadn’t seen her in a while
But Granny was always so young and so spry
There didn’t seem anything she wouldn’t try.
“So Winter is lost - it’s missing, it’s gone?”
I decided to humour my Granny along.
But to my astonishment she nodded her head
At the truth of my words I had only just said.
“That’s right – just you look: just listen to me!”
I gazed through the window, but all I could see
Was rain, cloud and fog – not a sunbeam in sight
The day was so dark it could almost be night.
“So what do you mean?” I wondered aloud
“How could it be lost? Winter’s always around
these dark days ‘fore Christmas. We’re longing for snow
to cheer up our spirits and help the days go.”
“That’s right!” said my Gran, “That’s just what I mean
This dull dreary weather should never have been.
I’m ordering snow through this website I’ve found
So before you all know it, while I’m still around
There’ll be white stuff galore to cheer us all up.
Now, who’s going to help make the Wassailing Cup?”
So saying, she wandered away with a smile
I wondered: I haven’t seen her for a while
Not since I awoke to a snow sprinkled morn
Where, standing in splendour outside on the lawn
Was a wonderful snowman – or lady, I’d say
With a smile on her face and a hatful of hay.
“Yes, Winter is here now,” said a voice in my head.
But oh, what a pity, that Gran is now dead.

Winter lament

I know it is Winter: it’s dark and it’s cold
it plays up me rheumatics now I am old.
But still, all the same, I just can’t accept
the cold and the grey and the eternal wet.

What’s happened to Winter? To tell you the truth
it’s nothing like Winter was all through my youth.
First we had autumn, with glorious leaves:
huge windy days and frightening trees.

Then the gales started. Nights black as sin.
We cuddled by firesides, ate crumpets, stayed in.
Till suddenly waking one day with alarm
‘cos outside the house ‘twas unnaturally calm.

Oh the lightness and brightness of wonderful snow:
we dashed out the house with our faces aglow.
We whooped and we danced and we sang out for joy
oh, snow was our uttermost favourite toy!

And so Winter began: the snow came to stay
as our constant companion all through those days.
Our world stayed quite white, frost rimed my nose,
my fingers, my mittens, every one of my toes.

But I didn’t care: no, none of us did.
No longer cared we that Summer was hid.
Oh bring back old Winter, who cares if we freeze?
It’s better than sitting in wet to our knees.