October's Lament
Ahhh…
to be the warming months of spring
to welcome bud and blossom
with heady scents of jasmine
and the buzzing of the bees
to hear the joyful cries of children
sporting in green meadows
deprived by long white winter
No...
instead of one last summer bird song
one lazy afternoon
my lot’s to bring a bitter breath
a freezing death
to flowers
mere nodding heads
on drooping stems
come morning
Alas…
my displays of color
(gone the greens)
ocher
russet
gold
and crimson
last too short a time
then
f
a
l
l
in drifts
unwanted
raked and burned
blown into grungy gutters
Ahhh…
to be a gentle April
the month of poetry and prose
to hear the multitude of cheers
“Spring is Here!”
on eager tongues
and know they cheer for me
©2025 Lisa Smith Nelson. All Rights Reserved
Your poem has s wave pattern of joy melancholy and again joy.
ReplyDeleteVivid! (Alas, poor Northern October! But its twin, Southern October, has an opposite take to tell.)
ReplyDeleteBitter breath and freezing death is great imagery for October but it should be proud as that is how new life appears in Spring. :)
ReplyDeletePoor Northern October! Virginia's Octobers are very festive, times of mild (relatively less humid) weather and colorful leaves. In the Southern Hemisphere October gets to be spring. But in the Northern States...!
ReplyDeletePris cilla King
Oh love the waves of spring and october and enjoyed the structure of your poem
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful poem. Our October in Australia is a Spring month (equivalent to Northern April!), so you know what month you need to come and take a holiday in Australia!
ReplyDelete"my lot’s to bring a bitter breath
ReplyDeletea freezing death
to flowers
mere nodding heads
on drooping stems
come morning"
Love that imagery!