Dear Winter Wind: A Poem

This is a humble attempt at a poem once again inspired by everyday experiences like some of my previous pieces of writing. Enjoy it below and read on for more about what led me to penning this poem! 

Dear Winter Wind by Shreya Manna

Dear winter wind

Can you hear the kaleidoscope echoes of

My thoughts 

as they tumble and tremble and clatter

like tea coasters slipping

off a high table?

You are a carnivore, and

between your tusks

these tempests

shrink and scuttle; they

collapse, crumbling under

the sheer force of your roar.

But you are also a conch, and like a newborn’s

first cry, you are life, flooding life.

LOOK, you scream.

And all I sense

are your infinite reverberations

through the arteries

of the Earth.

As I move, your lungs heave

solid, yet gossamer soft gusts

against my steady footsteps.

–

The idea for this poem was hatched practically by the wind itself. With it being a refreshing winter for once in my (very hot) part of the world, I took to the well-worn activity of many confused writers: a walk. The reason behind my confusion was nothing worthy of note: in fact, it came from my frustration at wanting to write a new post on something that was genuinely valuable and sincere, as I always aim to do in these blog posts, but being stuck for time with an onslaught of mock exams looming in a matter of days (I will stop harping on about mock exams soon) – not to mention a newly materialising ambition to submit my writing to a few more competitions. I chewed on this idea for a bit longer and it got me thinking about how something as everyday as weather can become an accompaniment, a catalyst or a vehicle for deeper emotional undercurrents. And walking against the gusting, cold winds that day, I saw how this could easily be worth exploring not only literally but metaphorically. For inspiration, I also have to credit the poem ‘Vinegar’ by Roger McGough which illustrates how emotional conflict can be encapsulated simply and beautifully. Sometimes, I find, simple, elemental forces can bring your attention to ‘life’ itself happening rather than the constant mental drama of our minds. As I was writing this, I felt that poetry gave me the best chance of expressing this powerfully.

I am just a beginning poet, so feel free to offer constructive feedback or share your reaction to this potentially ‘unusual’ topic being transformed into poetry!

Note: Please do not copy or reproduce this poem anywhere without my prior permission. See the Copyright Policy page for more details. 

Keep reading and read-joicing,

Shreya