"Winter Constitutional"

Gold cherry

By Penny4athought

Tue, 02 Dec 2025
  • 264 reads
13 comments
 

Ghostly breaths of brumal dew

Icy mist of petrichor

Barren branches sway and shiver

Loosening spikes of icicles

To stab the frozen earth

Subnivean creatures

scurry underfoot

Owls screech 

in the canopy

Sounds carried

on howling winds

Shiver bones

and question sanity

On a midnight walk

in the realm of Boreas

Cloaked in winter’s wardrobe

 

 

Certificate 12
Poem
Nature

Comments

Submitted by Turlough on

A lovely picture of winter's combination of beauty and brutality.

Turlough

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Thank you Turlough- Winter certainly can be both.smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by insertponceyfre... on

Fabulous imagery Penny - you made me cold just reading it!

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Hi Insert- thank you for reading this poem-- I'll admit while forming those wintry descriptions, I felt a shiver too. smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

Didn't know 'subnivean'. The first dictionary I tried didn't either. Nice word. Enjoyable description from a warm chair! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Thank you Rhiannon- it might not be a word often used to describe the opening beneath the snow where small animals tunnel in winter, but I thought it fit here nicely and I'm glad you enjoyed it.smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by marandina on

This seasonal poem is atmospheric and beautifully crafted.

It is today's Facebook, X/Twitter and BlueSky Pick of the Day.

Congratulations. 

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Surprised and happy to see the POD. Thank you for the honor and the big smile it provided, much appreciated. smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by celticman on

to be out and about is poetry to bring home. 

 

Submitted by Penny4athought on

Well said celticman- nature is our muse. smiley

Penny4athought

Submitted by Di_Hard on

"Winter's wardrobe" is great :0) Made me go back to re read your wonderfully descriptive poem, imagining C.S Lewis's White Witch

 

Submitted by Jane Hyphen on

You've really nailed the season there Penny. It's so chilling but you've also given us a sense of both the power and bare beauty of mid-winter. The lady of the cold walks here in your words. 

 

Submitted by skinner_jennifer on

This is so special Penny, it sums up the magic of winter. Love the idea of Barren branches sway and shiver, and Subnivean creatures scurrying underfoot, then the Owls screeching in the canopy Sounds carried on howling winds. Could picture the scene perfectly.

Wonderful and well deserved of gold cherries, congrats.

Jenny.