Winter’s Poem

Welcome to The Spot Writers. The prompt for this month is to write a poem about winter.

This week it’s Cathy MacKenzie’s turn. Her writings are found in numerous print and online publications. She writes all genres but invariably veers toward the dark—so much so her late mother once asked, “Can’t you write anything happy?” (She can!)

She recently published WHEN KAYAKS FLY, a mix of fantasy, real life, and gallows humour. This book was made possible after three years of Spot Writers’ prompts—after much editing, re-writing, and adding chapters (a couple of poems too!). Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/1990589332.

Check out www.writingwicket.wordpress.com for further information on Cathy’s works.

 

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 Winter’s Poem

by Cathy MacKenzie

 

Once upon a time

During winters long ago,

A woman wrote poems

No one read

For she was always alone,

Dreading warm seasons

Turning cold,

But her heart thawed

When snow blanketed the brown,

Turning her world into a

Magical winter wonderland.

 

Sitting by the window,

Sipping vino chilled,

She weaved words

Into her world

While yearning to race outdoors,

Stick out her tongue like a child,

Catch those illusive flakes.

 

Instead, she sipped more wine,

Wrote another line

And two...

 

But curiosity intervened:

She ventured outdoors,

Pulled her sweater across her chest,

Watched her breath form clouds,

Heard the crunch of snow beneath her feet.

 

With head held high,

She recited a poem:

 

“Winter is the reason I write

For beauty exists in simplicity,

And simple words magically

Wipe away the past.”

 

’Twas a poem in her head,

One never before then shared,

And she imagined each line resonating

Within hearts of listeners

Young and old,

Wrapping them in layers of warmth

While transported into her world

Of winters dreamy and magical.

 

When she paused

To take a breath

Spontaneous applause erupted,

Mixed with joyous shouts and laughter:

You’re a hit!

You’re a star!

 

Imagination and dreams

Were her sole friends

Though memories

Never failed to intrude.

 

Winters continued to come and go,

Her poetry upbeat despite

Heartbreaks

Negating promises tenfold.

 

But as snowflakes twirled

And slowly swirled

Amidst the day’s beating of cold

And night about to fold,

She glimpsed a stray star

Away so far

And shrieked:

 

“My poems, hid from the cold,

Scream of sins of old,

’Tis the reason flowers cried

And froze o’er them who died.”

 

She paused,

Reflected.

 

Darkness took over her world,

She knew not what transpired

For it happened too fast

And her last words echoed

From high above:

 

“In this celestial flight

All feels perfect and right.”

 

Her heart always thawed

As snow blanketed the ground,

When she weaved words of winter

Into a faraway world.

 

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The Spot Writers:

Val Muller: http://www.valmuller.com/blog/

Catherine A. MacKenzie: https://writingwicket.wordpress.com/wicker-chitter/

Phil Yeats: https://alankemisterauthor.wordpress.com

Chiara De Giorgi: https://chiaradegiorgi.blogspot.com/