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Monday 5 March 2018

Poetry Monday: Winter

Diane is back from vacation, and she's brought Poetry Monday with her, like a big gust of fresh sunny air!

As in the past, Poetry Monday is open to everyone -- leave a poem (your own or any other that appeals to you) in the comments here or at Diane's or Delores' blogs. Or post your poem on your own blog, and leave us a comment to let people know where to find you. 

This week's theme is "winter." Isn't that a nice broad topic, with lots of room to spread out and wiggle your toes? Yes, yes it is, unlike some winter boots I have worn in my day. Er, but that's a story for another post. And if "winter" doesn't inspire you, choose any topic you like. Just enjoy yourself!

This poem will make it sound like we've been having a normal, cold, snowy Atlantic Canadian winter here. The truth is that it has been anything but normal. The temperatures have been mostly mild and we've barely had any snow. I've had to draw on decades of winter experience to write my winter poem. Maybe I should've stuck to describing the strangeness of this year's winter, but my first thought about winter is usually "Oh, no, not all those clothes and boots AGAIN" and I decided to follow that thought.


Does This Outfit Make Me Look Fat?

The part of winter I like least
Is dressing for the cold;
With all the extra clothing, it's
Like being blanket-rolled.

On top of what you always wear,
You must be sure to add
At least one more of everything --
If not, you'll wish you had.

And after that come boots and coat
And scarf and gloves and hat;
And heaven help the one who should
Have peed before all that.

Don't worry if your strangling scarf
Should make it hard to talk,
Or if your Deep Cold heavy boots
Should make it hard to walk --

With all those clothes, you're sure to be
As warm as breakfast toast.
But -- horrors! when you hit the stores,
It's likely that you'll roast!

Your feet will drag, your shoulders sag;
Your scarf will itch your neck.
But worse than that, my friends, your hat
Will leave your hair a wreck.

And when you've finished paying, and
Have left the store, you'll find
You've got all that you went for, but
Your gloves got left behind.

No wonder people run and skip
When spring's warm air abounds --
By leaving winter clothes at home
Our scales are down ten pounds :)


*****


TIPS ON WINTER DRESSING:


FOOTWEAR:


No



Yes!




HEADWEAR: 


No




Yes! . . . and having the match wouldn't hurt either



DOGWEAR:


No




Yes!



IN SUMMARY:


No



Yes! well, the gauzy veil and feather might not be necessary, but the rest is good


*****

Wishing you all a week free from weather-related discomfort, wherever you may be and whatever the weather is dishing out to you. Dress appropriately!!

(All images courtesy of Pixabay.)

UPDATE: Next week's topic, suggested by Diane, is "a story that is 'mostly' true" . . . . ....

53 comments:

dinthebeast said...

We're finally getting some winter here: feet of snow and avalanches in the Sierras, and inches of rain down here, where it never really gets too cold comparatively speaking.
My friend Zsuzs gave me a nice wool scarf, and my housemate John gave me a warm, fuzzy, coat with a hood, neither of which has it been cold enough to wear, but they're nice to have in case I actually go somewhere cold...
That said, I'm always impatient for winter, such as it is here, to be over.

-Doug in Oakland

baili said...

hahha
Fantastic poem dear Jenny!!!

you choose main topic of winter to talk about,very interesting and so much fun to read.
all the irritating wearings and annoying problems they bring .
i laughed over the mention of peeing while wearing all the clothing(takes too much time lol)

yes forgetting the gloves is common problem moms face when kids lost their's in school at least twice in a week.
tips are HILARIOUS!

i am glad that weather is being mild at your part of land my friend and now you are able to enjoy outdoor beauty of nature.
Hope you are perfectly fine and fit now dear,take good care
lots of love and Hugs!

Elephant's Child said...

Big smiles.
And the pee before you go is true here - whatever the weather.

Geo. said...

Delightful post! And I delight in your poem. I can only offer this little poem from my gardening blog --http://lepslog.blogspot.com/2018/03/thanks-lisa-727-pm.html-- and invite you to visit:

Each daffodil echoes the
Universe in explosion.
We're all dust from
The same flower.

River said...

When our winter comes around I wear two layers instead of one, then on going outside a windproof/shower proof parka and a beanie. Last year I didn't wear gloves more than once and then only for a few minutes.
I love your poem.

Terry said...

I read the poem and thought it was very good, Jenny.
It’s been very cold and starting to thaw out a bit.. That’s good.
I’m not much for writing poems but i’ll spend the rest of the day trying to think of one.

Marie Smith said...

Fabulous! Love it! It’s a perfect winter poem!

Red said...

I really like your poem with a humorous look at winter clothing. I can tell you're looking forward to spring.

only slightly confused said...

That tells the story perfectly. Our winter has been less than normal also. Not complaining

Diane Stringam Tolley said...

Oh, this is priceless! And, sadly, true . . .

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Wintertime

Fluffy snowflakes falling on my head
Homeless men in doorways dead
Children laughing on their sledges
Starving seabirds blown from ledges
The white stuff settles all around
I slip on my arse and fall to the ground.
Johnny Winter’s on my stereo
Singing songs of love tinged with woe
Edgar Winter follows next
Singing this poetic text:
“Keep playing that rock and roll
Keep doing what you been told
Save your money up for when you get old
Got to keep playing that rock and roll”
And I got to make this poem rhyme
After all, it’s Wintertime.

jenny_o said...

It's probably good that you folks are getting some precipitation, I would think. But I know what you mean, spring is more pleasant to actually live in.

How does Zsuzs pronounce her name? I always wonder and today I'm going to ask!

jenny_o said...

Thank you, baili! I hope your weather is easing also. Spring is such a nice time of year, it seems, wherever we live!

jenny_o said...

Yep - and every chance while on an outing :D

jenny_o said...

This is a gem, Geo. - a beautiful comparison and concept all wrapped up in four short lines. Thank you for joining in.

jenny_o said...

I think the key to getting out and about in different weather is to be dressed properly. It sounds like you do that.

jenny_o said...

You folks got a big blast of winter weather - maybe it's too cold to think about poetry! hah

jenny_o said...

Thanks, Marie - I know you know all about it :)

jenny_o said...

I always do! I bet you do, too :)

jenny_o said...

I'm not complaining either. It worries me for the long view, though.

jenny_o said...

Here, have another scarf, Diane, or an extra pair of socks!

jenny_o said...

What is this rule about rhyming in wintertime of which you speak?? We have no rules here!

Thanks for joining in.

Terry said...

Us........folks? So quaint and so........American.lol.

jenny_o said...

Ha ha - isn't it funny what words sound like to people from different countries! We say "you folks" a lot here in Canada, too. I like it better than "you people" :D

Yorkshire Pudding said...

Oh didn't you know -that's one of the commandments in "The Poet's Bible" that all budding poets must follow.

dinthebeast said...

She pronounces it zhuzh. She's Hungarian and her name is Zsuzsa. I read about the wife of a Canadian politician whose name is Zsuzsanna Ignatieff and she's the only other Zsuzs I have ever heard of, though I suppose there are lots of them in Hungary where it is their equivalent of Susan...

-Doug in Oakland

Steve Reed said...

You find the most interesting images. Why is that man holding a match?! Ha!

jenny_o said...

Who knows? ha ha

Looking through free photos on the internet has turned out to be one of the unexpected pleasures of blogging for me. To write something and then to find an appropriate or funny or "just right" mental image I had in mind is always one of the most relaxing and fun parts of a post.

jenny_o said...

I don't have a copy of that, so I don't have to abide by it, right??

jenny_o said...

So does it sound like "Zooz" phonetically, or more of an "s" sound than "z"? It's a lovely name and I really like it.

Martha said...

HAHAHA! This was great. You return with a bang! I laughed out loud because (as a fellow Canuck) I live this every winter. And those store visits can drive you mad when you start to overheat. Can't wait to shed all this extra gear!

dinthebeast said...

It's like an sh sound only with a z instead of the s. Kinda like the French j sound in Jacques.

-Doug in Oakland

jenny_o said...

Now I've got it! Thanks for persisting with me. I'd never have guessed right!

jenny_o said...

It doesn't seem like it should be such a big thing, does it - yet, it definitely is! I dread all the clothes, pure and simple :)

Chicken said...

I was wondering the same thing about Zsuzs. Interesting that it's the equivalent of Susan.

Chicken said...

Cute poem-well done. I kind of like winter dressing. Boots, tights, sweaters...hides a lot of sinning.

Diane Henders said...

So... here's a question: How many times did that poor model in the last photo have to jump up and down before the photographer finally got the shot?

And you had me laughing out loud with "And heaven help the one who should | Have peed before all that." Bahahaha!!!

gz said...

Thankyou! That brought a smile to my face.

Anonymous said...

I loved your poem Jenny and the humour that came through. Wish I could write like that.

The last couple of weeks haven't been too good for me ache/pain wise, so didn't get to do a poem on Winter past the first verse as I couldn't concentrate. So I am including one I wrote a few years ago because it is winter related.

November

November is a long hard month,
With its dark and dismal days.
Time to put the shutters up
And fit the double glaze.

The harvest has long since gone
And the fields lay barren and bare.
We have to give the land a rest,
So treat it with loving care.

Vibrant plants, bushes and trees,
Once displaying their own splendour,
Sadly have died away,
By the dismal month of November.

But for us it's a special month,
As our wedding was in November.
Our daughter Lauren too was born
Also our grand-daughter, Amber.

So, whatever anyone says,
You have to take as you find.
Because whatever doesn't suit one,
To someone else may be kind.

Have a good week. Hopefully I will be more 'up for it' next week.

Joan (Devon)

jenny_o said...

Hah! I hadn't thought of it that way, maybe because no amount of clothing can hide my sins :) But you go, girl!

jenny_o said...

That's a great question! At least she's not going to get overheated from wearing too many clothes :)

It's the last thing I do before I get all those duds on :)

jenny_o said...

I'm so glad! I like making people smile :)

jenny_o said...

I love the last verse, Joan - so true and well worth remembering. With all that celebrating, I imagine your Novembers go by quite quickly.

I'm sorry you've been feeling worse than usual. Does the bad weather seem to increase your pain? I hope you have a better week ahead. And I'm glad you were able to join in with your poem this week.

Anonymous said...

Thank you Jenny. No, I don't think the weather affects me, only the wind as that seems to put me off-balance with the MS. My aches and pains are in my hips and spine. I don't know why because it's not as though I've been athletic or sporty, just an age thing I guess. Still, the paracetamols do their work, up to a point.

Next weeks poem is going to take a bit of thinking about, isn't it? Stiil, I'll give it a go.

Joan (Devon)

jenny_o said...

I'm coming up empty-handed on that topic so far! We can write on any topic, so we needn't stress too much.

When I was having orthotics made to help with foot/knee/hip pain, the specialist making them said that research shows people who sit a lot (at office jobs, for example) are at risk for as much damage to their bodies as others, such as nurses, who often end up with physical issues due to too much lifting and walking. It was sitting that caused my hip and back pain. I have to be careful not to spend too much time in a chair. Not everyone has a choice, though.

Anonymous said...

Thanks for that Jenny, as that explains it because all of my jobs have been sitting down.

Joan (Devon)

jenny_o said...

It may be - although it doesn't help much to know the cause, does it? It still hurts.

kylie said...

My first thought was how true the peeing part is! It must be a case of great minds thinking alike for me and EC.

Have you ever noticed how humans wear about 20 items when it's really cold but we put our dogs in one little coat??
cracks me up

jenny_o said...

The peeing is a VERY important consideration for a few of us, it seems!

I know - and I've seen little dogs with short hair out without a coat at all. I feel bad for them.

Jono said...

It's the difference between us and them. Canadians will put on flip flops as soon as the temperatures get above freezing. It's a traction thing. Floridians will put on boots when the temperature drops below air-conditioning levels.

jenny_o said...

Hahaha! It's all relative :) So, being almost Canadian yourself, I assume you have your flip flops shined up and ready to go sometime in the next month and a half or so??

Cherie said...

We had a little flake of snow
Now trains won't run and cars won't go
And when it melts and all is green
There's flooding where the snow has been.


jenny_o said...

Well done, Cherie! And it's all true! Thanks for joining in :)