Best Crispness Poems
Fall Tiptoed In
Softly, last night it tiptoed in--
that wisp of crispness in the air!
I grab a quilt made way back when
and watch the sunrise from my chair.
The cinnamon breeze monarchs ride—
softly, last night it tiptoed in
and brought me thoughts of days gone by,
of marshmallows and campfire friends.
Can it be, summer’s at an end,
and fall has quietly begun?
Softly, last night it tiptoed in,
to avoid notice of the sun.
Just yesterday the summer heat
made me wistful for fall, and then,
while I’m in bed and fast asleep,
softly, last night it tiptoed in!
8/26/2022
Hint of Autumn
Regina McIntosh, sponsor
Categories:
crispness, autumn,
Form:
Quatern
Let autumn's feet be slow to leave
As winter white comes much too soon.
Let colors fill the eyes with warmth,
Enjoy the glow of harvest moon.
The trees in all their splendor stand
Till autumn winds coax leaves to dance.
As colors swirl my heart delights.
With every fall I share romance.
I love the crispness of the air,
The crunch of leaves beneath my feet
In scarlet, gold and pumpkin hues;
Welcome relief from summer's heat.
The rain comes tapping at my pane
With crystal diamond drops that share
The beauty of this season's soul,
A beauty that's beyond compare.
Connie Marcum Wong
Categories:
crispness, autumn, beauty,
Form:
Rhyme
Trembling in the silence of a fresh snowfall, awaiting the struggle of laughter and tears, the beautiful that comes from stars shadowed by flakes so gentle they seem to speak silence into the spirit – like the voice of a vision, preaching peace ~ quote by poet
Secreted beneath the gentle fragments, shivering,
Blown in piles, demanding as January’s piercing light,
Silence caressing the stones, the oaks, the pines,
In glistening reflections, hearts possessed,
By the indigo skies who are burning with grace,
Speckled with sensations, amazement –
Sweltering in the 12 degree rays, where moments
Tend to breath in the crispness and release brilliance,
In waves, wisdom from the hunger
Ravenous appetites, awaiting the colors of light,
Friendly aromas of souls, newly blooming,
Emitting sounds that go on, unnoticed, echoes,
Vibrations trembling in soothing sighs…
Melodious blessings, ranging from hearts to insights,
Lifting the nights on wings of angels,
Promising the heavens to release the broken hearts,
Send comfort to the earth in the form of snow,
Who breathes a quiet truth, silence…
Beaming from the tender scales, shavings of ice,
Glittery and crisp, crumbling into moments,
When the laughing sun kisses the blanketed ridges,
Stirring the scene so that only the blurry vision,
Squinted from eyes who remember –
On the snow covered land there is plenty to glimpse,
But only the blinded eyes can truly remember,
How the sparkling snow seemed to shudder and shake,
In silence… deciding just how significant
How consuming is the silence of a shadow,
Reflected on the land whose bathed in fresh white,
The frosty sheen of hope breathing its lasting glance,
Over the peaceful promise of this kind and graceful spectacle,
Commotion in brilliance, awakening the spirit,
With a wonderful white home where the fires crack,
Popping so that even the wood can feel the flames traveling,
Deep into the bones, risking tragedy…
To be lauded by the sensations of Winter’s amazing,
Winter chasing the dreams, the belief, the faded hope…
For those silhouettes who follow the moon,
Ride the stars and twinkle like the deathlike grief,
Who arranges for even the darkness to be plucked from the earth,
By the fresh fallen flurries who break away the brittle,
Soothing souls so that they’re sanctified by the sentimental.
Categories:
crispness, appreciation, beautiful, january, peace,
Form:
Verse
This winter’s eve,
so clear, so bright
That crispness felt
when out this night
The sky’s alive,
with lights above
Symbols of hope
symbols of love
The greatest light
therein the scene
That’s looked upon
by king and queen
Is that which makes
the nighttime view
But when I saw the moon…
I thought of you
For radiance is not
the light above
It’s of the heart,
defined as love
It’s personified grace
You so you possess
That makes me feel
That I am blessed
Each night as when
the moon’s in view
I’ll look again
… see only you
Categories:
crispness, love, passion, peoplelight, light,
Form:
Rhyme
Dorry's Ridge
Frank Halliwell
In the fading days of summer; in the early afternoon,
We climbed the path that winds to Dorry's Ridge..
Where the crispness of the autumn air fortold a snowfall soon
On the rolling hills beyond the Springtown Bridge.
See the reds and golden yellows of the woods up on the hill
Where the maples stood all summer dressed in green.
Can you feel the breath of winter in the early evening chill
With the north wind stealing down the lake unseen?
Does a sense of wonder fill you, when the wild geese fill the sky
As they start their yearly journey to the south..
And the strung-out chains of emigrants call loudly as they fly
Past the rocky point down by the river's mouth..
And when once more it's silent, and our world is still again,
And our geese have disappeared beyond our view,
I'll lead you down the ridge, along the pathway from our glen,
And wander back along the lake with you.
On Dorry's Ridge the snow lies deep, and up along the hill..
The maples stand forlorn; their branches bare.
The lake lies deep beneath the ice; caught tight in winter's chill
The fox is sleeping soundly in her lair.
But one day soon the spring will come, the land will blossom then,
And life will wake again, as nature planned.
We'll climb the long path to the ridge, returning to our glen,
And watch the geese returning, hand in hand..
o0o
Categories:
crispness, world,
Form:
Rhyme
ANOTHER AFRICAN DAWN
The silence of the dawn even before
the first bird sings its unique little composition to the world
crispness of the previous night fills the air
encouraging a deep breath of purity before daily issues pollute
how easy it is to replace this beautiful time of the day
perceived importance of one or two extra hours of slumber
only the wisdom of an Omniscient Creator could perfect this orchestration
each new day with such peace and promise-
the Eternal assurance of a new beginning
Dry, dusty, icy, bouncy, luxurious….. Land Rover
morning expectancy contrasting half awake awareness
novelty of a time spent inconsistent with the predictability of standard sunrise routine
a contemplative- life assessment at break of day
wrapped up in awareness of the cold beauty and African spaces
Red Sun Competition
March 2013
Categories:
crispness, introspection, day, time,
Form:
Imagism
Leaves of rust do bounce within the brisk wind
As trees release them from whence they ascend
The frigid air blows down the lane of leaves
Orange charms lay about where we all believe
The sun sits low barely over the drive
Straw blends with the grass as fall comes alive
The crispness of each day flaunts us with pride
Colors of autumn describes the outside
Trees are nearing their midnight life cycle
Almost bare with few leaves to recycle
Crops are near the height of sowing prowess
Yellow stalks surround the farmhouse fortress
The season does explain the cool weather
It’s the most beautiful time of the year
Russell Sivey
Categories:
crispness, autumn, life, wind,
Form:
Sonnet
A light blanket of clouds covers
the sun, and fog drapes the trees
Crispness fills the still September air
rendering a sense of ease
An illuminating sun peeks through
Sleepy eyes lift the blanket
Autumn's touch is welcome here
Ripe pears nature's banquet
Categories:
crispness, seasons,
Form:
Rhyme
there's something in the breath of fall, so dear
that churns the deepest province of my soul
once rooted in the start of each school year
mixed with that earthy crispness of the cold
the thrills of sports and studies, ivy-bound
esteemed traditions held amidst the eaves
more precious, still, that kindred heart I found
through crazy, callow love among the leaves
oh, how we drowned so eagerly each time
we swam that leafy ocean ‘neath the trees
yet, now it’s only mem’ries put to rhyme
though, still, these weary eyes can clearly see ...
there - deep within the fading autumn's mist …
a shadow of the sweetheart I once kissed.
Copyright © Gregory Richard Barden, October 3, 2019 (rewrite 10/1/21); *original version featured in the anthology “154 By 16 Poets” by Craig Cornish
~ 1st Place ~ in the "Autumn Sonnet" Poetry Contest, John Hamilton, Judge & Sponsor.
~ 2nd Place ~ in the "Strand Choice J, Any Form, Any Theme" Poetry Contest, Brian Strand, Judge & Sponsor.
Categories:
crispness, appreciation, autumn, high school,
Form:
Sonnet
The fog is so thick I can not see the sticks, that in a wasted life,
rise off the dirty grave of the forest floor.
There is no beauty that could compare to the sight
of the thick ground clouds, that embrace my morning.
To run through the moisturous blanket into the unseen
and unknown would be a spectacular thrill.
The cool droplet of water stroking my feet, as they are released from
the tall finger grasses. tickle me kindly.
I chase the fog as its spread of mystery begins to rise
and confines back up into the sky.
I reach for the heartbeat of the fog, hoping that surrounding my skin,
with its life, it would carry me away.
I dance with it deeper into the dense woods, where it awakens the pine trees,
with its wet breath.
Higher and higher the fog rises.
I climb a welcoming oak tree,
stretching with its limbs grabbing for the clouds.
Take me away my morning fog, I want to ride this elevator to the sky,
to the heavens, take me away.
The fog disappaites and I am left with misty hands and empty eyes.
I look around clearly, seeing the crispness of nature,
basking in all her beauty
From the heights of this old oak tree,
I realize... I am lost.
Vibrant Verse Contest
07/30/2014
Categories:
crispness, confusion, heaven, morning,
Form:
Free verse
You are the river running through
unfathomable greens
glassy yellows
down in the core of the river
flicker lightness on top
You increase me…swell me…impregnate without word or deed
push me to the fore till my sail fills with your carbon
a deep blue undertow …rip tidian
only moderate and full…like a plate of food...of vegetables …of fruit…of corn
You are the dark brown peat from which I absorb minerals
vitamins … steel ...magnesium…sulfate
the pillow of my essence’s rest in your name …hurricane
You fall on me
Wash off delusion
And I am a small green thing …a fine rooted thing
Small leaves of me stretch for your chloroformian shadows
My roots dig deep
hear your drum beat in the equatorial regions of the flaming core
I bend around the rocks …look under ever beetle’s shimmering skin
in all things you can be found
Amorous and craving …a magma surface of tension and sun
in tree tops …dark places
in the dark alleys
You are the blue jay…the cardinal but also the raven
the oak knows you too well…the west wind too and swells up in my skirts…my cottons
my downy …my linen …my lead
you stand … your hands on your hips
look out over the possibilities
hungry for returns
I echo
Light housing across ….a sound burst
a wave in a vast universe of waves ..so many
too many waves
but you will hear me
Master of my heart
lover of my flesh and bone…my fat ..my thinness…my crispness…my luxury
You will hear …what no one else will ever know
and call it home
Categories:
crispness, first love, life, love,
Form:
Free verse
Alison weeps at the fake Senior Prom.
Alison creeps out onto the lawn.
Alison’s skin turns to purple from pink.
Alison’s flesh beginning to stink.
A stench too great to look away.
Poking at the children who’ve come to play.
Poking at Alison with a big long stick.
Flies alight with each small kick.
Alison floats above the field.
Amongst the birds and clouds to shield
her from the view of those below
who move through life ignoring the glow
of a vacuum in midst of spring air.
Gliding and growing beginning to tear
through the surface tension of a calm morn.
Swirling the tempest, igniting a storm.
Driving rain drops pelt the surface
of grass and concrete and metal, with purpose.
Cleansing the stains of stigma and pain.
The dirt drains away. Crispness remains.
Who will remember poor Alison?
When time has passed and we’ve moved along.
Who will remember the lessons she taught?
Lessons engraved, but I guess you forgot.
Jim Graham
2010
Categories:
crispness,
Form:
Ballad
"Strawberry Kisses"
temptation
covert operatives
brush contact 99
coquettish Smart near misses
flirtatious crispness
in the velvet time sliding
softly persuasive
dead dropping
hungry ghosting gumshoes hubristic
dangling dripping words delicious
on tongue twisters
birdwatching the blowback
poiesis ripe
for swallows and ravens
chasing bell ringing
black buried au courant bluebirds out
better than late
Merry Christmas
lips for speaking
freshly plucked
smiles
succulent kisses
cool spooning
for the slightly touched
(LadyLabyrinth / 2021)
Categories:
crispness, fun, kiss,
Form:
Free verse
bursting with colour
fall's harmony delights
leaves playfully dance
darkness blankets the sky.
the crispness in the air
sharply pricks my cheeks
tears feel like icicles
stinging, unforgiving, cold.
the beach is deserted
long gone is the laughter
all i hear is the ocean
waves violent & crashing.
what once was my sanctuary
i only feel lost & alone
the emptiness overwhelms me
reality too much for me to bear.
i fall to my knees
sand coarse, knuckles white,
wrapped tightly in dispair
i begin to rock; i rock.
time has no meaning
as i gasp for air
nose running, lips quivering
i am scared; out of control.
his heart is frozen, eyes vacant and haunting
a souless shell in disguise, as a caring man
was who i chose to love, and who he chose to hate me.
the how & why i don't understand
as the brutality of his words
cruelly replay; they replay
breaking my heart, piece by piece.
a homeless man limps over to me
i look up, smile, his eyes are kind,
he gently puts his hand on my shoulder
and stares out at the ocean with me.
i try to calm my shaking body
extend my wobbly hand to his
he has one limb & three fingers missing
i accept as he helps me to stand.
on this desolate beach
feeling isolated & broken
i realized at that very moment
this man with kind eyes
was my saving grace.
suffering in silence, i allowed
abuse and rage, i quietly accepted.
for it was this tender, gentle man who
showed me love in it's purest form.
Categories:
crispness, angst, confusion, hope, introspection,
Form:
Free verse
Autumn’s Shiver
There is an almost imperceptible shiver,
a subtle shift of wind’s breath,
felt only by those who know the season.
It is followed by a quickened pace,
not yet an urgency, but an awareness,
a reminder, of plans to be made.
The trees inhale the first drops of sap,
leaves feel the tingle of the coming crispness,
roots stretch their fingers one more time.
Flowers bow their heads in silent prayer
dropping petals in a tearless - “au revoir”,
as a season, and its fullness, slowly pass.
7/17/2014
submitted to – Simply Beautiful #2 – Poetry Contest
sponsor – Kelly Deschler
Categories:
crispness, autumn, change, seasons,
Form:
Verse