Written: June 24, 2026, for a contest sponsored by Joanna Daniel
Checked by HMS.COM / 8 syllables per line
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Where daffodils in springtime bloom,
As finches trill with joyful sight—
And dragonflies in sunlight loom.
The June breeze whispers soft and low,
Through willow branches, silver-white—
While lilies drift in pond below.
Beneath the summer's golden gaze,
Swallows follow their southern flight—
As the leaves shimmer in the haze.
Then winter winds begin their flow,
And bare trees stand in frost-bound site—
While streams are locked in frost's cold show.
Frost-laden branches bend and gleam,
Shimmering in winter's cold light—
Whilst the town's awakening dreams.
Shadows stretching eastward
Setting sun in daylight lost
Fall creeps in on chilly fingers
Grasses matted by morning frost.
Trees comply ablaze with color
Flashing signals in Autumn’s roust
To feathered, clothed, or furry creatures
Storing food or flying south.
Grey fog gauzing upward
Where Canadas vector in the sky
Above dark waters cooled over night
Honkie-talkie as they fly.
Pumpkins glowing orange
Bundled corn stalks stripped and bound
Freshening winds start groaning-whining
Hints of change for frost bound ground.
Cotton to flannel to fleece and wool
Make ready for winter’s unknown
Top off the firewood, gas, or oil
Secure the harvest - secure the home.
The darkest crevice bares the strongest light
Dispersing bright sun over shadows white pale
Barren trees stand against snow laden blight
Tips of fresh grass poke heads above the trail
The owl swoops down to the death of the mouse
While winds howl free across the moons dead face
Shadowed spaces hide beasts preying on Grouse
Polar ponds stilled where sly fish find their place
Frost bound trails that crunch and squeak with each step
My arctic heart fills with calls of sleepless sounds
While stars fall to escape like dreams unkept
For the spawning tides of spring to abound
Lifted by this arrant winter's cold night
The darkest crevice bares the strongest light
Rewritten October 10, 2020
Completely Your Choice Poetry Contest 24
Sponsored by Brian Strand
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