Winter Deep at White White Dawn

[Daniel Mark Extrom]

One last blast of winter, at least metaphorically.  I hope there is no more for us this year!

Winter Deep at White White Dawn

Savor now the subtle scent
that nestles to the earth,
sending its surrounding spell
chiming through a silent bell,
shushing all it blankets now
to somber slumber, thence to dream,
and to sleep the deepest sleep
that winter sends its way.


Gather now reflected light
and send it to the sun.
The whiteness of assertive earth
reclaims its right to warm itself
in gentle mound and cragged shelf,
speaking now to all within,
“It’s time to rest; it’s time to sleep,
until the snows succumb to spring,”
with fainting voice then whispering:
“I leave you now to your rest,
but you shall rise again in spring
to answer anthems of the sun,
and then begin your work again.”

But now it’s time for restful peace:
strength re-gathered, strength renewed;
nature sowing its own food,
until the sun again inspires
lush green growth
from hot orange fires.
Death comes not to those who sleep
but to those who never cease
to stand before the burning sun–
who take no rest in winter deep,
who sleep not at white white dawn.

Life returns to those who rest
in shadowed shelters sown by sleep,
for sleep allows a life to dream
and from those dreams
again will come
the strength, the will, and life’s desire
to rise again and face the fire
that tempers steel
that hones the life
that rests there now beneath the snow–
winter deep at white white dawn–
and feeds those dreams that burn within.

So sleep and dream and live again.

DME

[Brigid Briton]

Hi Dan,

This is a lovely, very atmospheric piece, evoking all sorts of images of cozy comforters and sweet dreams. One of my faves from you. "White white dawn" is really a striking phrase.

Thanks for this.

Brigid

[Daniel Mark Extrom]

Thank you, Brigid!

Dan

[Reilley]

A terrific poem here Daniel, but are sure it is properly placed here in rhyming poetry? I cannot find the scheme of the rhyme in it, maybe I am just missing something.

[Brigid Briton]

Hi Dan,

Looks like Chris (Reilley) is right to me! Guess my coffee hadn't taken effect yet this morning.

[Daniel Mark Extrom]

Thank you Reilley and Brigid.

I understand your point, and I think it could have gone in either category.  Articles I have read say writers should avoid using rhyme these days unless they can use it almost secretly, if another word (non-rhyming) would fit the bill.  Frankly, I don't get that advice, and I do prefer, generally, rhyme. And this was an attempt to not rhyme when I wrote it!  I like to think of it as rhythmic even if not true rhyme.

But I think there is a bit of rhyme in stanza 2 ("itself" and "shelf" and also "spring" and "whispering" and even, sort of, "within", "sun" and "again." 
And in stanza 3, "renewed" and "food"; "inspires" and "fires" and "peace" and "cease" and even "dawn" and "sun."

In stanza 4, "desire" and "fire" and "dawn" and "within" and "again."

And I just realized this: I missed inserting a line that was originally in stanza one.  I will put it in now: "chiming through a silent bell," 4th line from top.  Sorry!!!

But you're right, it's not true rhyme, and if you want to move it to free verse, I won't be offended at all. I promise!

Dan