Winter in Maryland
by
Richard Reed Jr
copyright 03-10-2006
Age Rating: 1 to 127
A kaleidoscope of weather
Changing patterns, mirrored
By the ever-changing colors
Of the rotating seasons
The inconsistent climate
Winter in Maryland
The trees, undead skeletons
The last leaves of autumn
Hanging on like
Unwanted dinner guests
The rest wrapped in garbage bag shrouds
Hauled away, weeks ago
Calendar pages turn, to and fro
Sweaters, jackets, overcoats
And umbrellas always at hand
One never seems to know
Saturday, balmy and warm
Sunday, pushing snow from the car
Monday's rain washed it anyway
Winter in Maryland
The playground hill
Surrenders to the sun
Early morning snow recedes
Children, sleds under arms, retreat
Snowmen dying as they're born, melting
Like butter squares in an ice dish
Sitting too close to the stove
Winter never visits alone
Autumn, winter, spring
Intermingling clouds
Seasons within seasons
Splotches of rain, sleet, and snow
Splattering on icy sidewalks
I sit in front of the fireplace
Turning from damp, to warm, to toasted
Visions of my childhood
Melting within my head
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Revelations, how grand, it seems as though, it's happening everywhere, there's no snow in Houston, it just rains all year, but it gets cold in summer, (Well, as cold as Texas can get) anyway, I can relate, the same image sticks in my head everytime this happens, which is quit often, Great write, good job, thanks,
Hi Rich...This new version is OK but I much preferred the original. That was about my Maryland winter, a specific, concise and wonderful description of a true Maryland winter....this one is more generic with Maryland winters tacked on at the end, almost as an afterthought....Can you email a copy of the original...pleeeaaassse?
Dancing fire of the night, you bring so many such great fright. Cold ice of night you steal so many to your freeze. Crashing thunder of the night you paralyze so many. Whipping wind of the night you blow away so many...
Very good work. It's also so true. Time speeds by us as the seasons change one after the other. It's amazing how it works. One time we look up we see the blazing sun, and the next moment, or so it feels, we're looking up at a snow cloud. Please read this over and examen your commas and overall grammar. And don't sweat it, if I ever get the comma rules right I'll be about 100 years old. :) Great work!
This is an absolutely perfect description of winter in Maryland. Your use of simile is wonderful..."Leaves hanging on like unwanted dinner guests". The imagery is sublimely original.."dead leaves in garbage bag shrouds". The over-crowding of closets in winter with all the seasonal gear hits home because in Maryland you can never put anything in storagefor the winter because you will need it within a week if you try!
The only awkward lines were the snowmen dying as they were born being compared to butter pats kept too near the stove ones. The simile used would be very good if used as a comparison with a melting snowman but because you personified the snowmen with the dying and being born analogy it doesn't fit. You would need to keep the snowmen as inanimate objects for the simile to make sense....But that is a minor flaw in an otherwise excellent poem...I would be interested in knowing about the last verse... like David, I found it interesting as well as a bit mystifying.
"Calendar pages turn, to and fro
Sweaters, jackets, overcoats
And umbrellas always at hand
One never seems to know
Saturday, balmy and warm
Sunday, pushing snow from the car
Monday's rain washed it anyway
Winter in Maryland"
This sounds like winter in Alberta.
You have painted a nice picture; if felt very homey.
I found the last stanza rather unusual, but in general liked the whole poem.
Welcome !
