Sonnet to an Old Winter Coat

They found love again like a winter coat,
Collar up against the chilly weather,
Enmeshed fingers pushed deep in a pocket,
Facing their final season together.
Wearing their coat of many colours,
Woven from their last threads of emotion,
They remember life as friends and lovers
Without the thrill of anticipation.
It began in quiet, gentle romance,
Weekly dates, the movies and holding hands,
No lindy-hopping at the local dance,
Twisting and jiving to rock and roll bands.
Now their life is comfortable and worn
Like an old winter coat, wrinkled and warm.

© Kim M. Russell, 2015

two people sitting on pavement facing on body of water photo – Free Image on Unsplash

Linked to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night Live on 10th December 2020

This poem was reworked from one I previously posted on 24th September. It was submitted to and published in Issue 1 of Afflatus Magazine (edited by April Mae M. Berza) in 2016. It’s on page 9.

Image by Renate Vanaga on Unsplash

54 thoughts on “Sonnet to an Old Winter Coat”

    1. Thank you, Bjorn. David had an old donkey jacket he used to wear to walk our dog many years ago and the pocket was deep enough for both our hands.
      Is it too early to join OLN yet?

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  3. This is incredibly gorgeous, Kim 😀 I love; “It began in quiet, gentle romance, weekly dates, the movies and holding hands.” Perfect for the season 💝💝

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    1. Thank you so much, Ken. I’ve watched quite a few couples walk past our cottage during lockdown. Living in the middle of the countryside is a blessing, we can walk pretty much anywhere.

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  15. This is just a wonderful, delightful heartwarming sonnet of love which lasts through the decades! I really enjoyed hearing you read it. And when I hear ‘coat of many colours,’ I think of Joseph…was it Jason Donovan – that was all the rage when I was a kid anyway!

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    1. Thank you, Ingrid! I just watched the video of last night’s OLN. I hope no one can see how nervous I am when reading. The coat of many colours I was thinking of was a cross between my husband’s old donkey jacket he used to wear when we walked the dog on the beach 28 years ago and his other one which was Indian I think, and was woven from different coloured threads, Both had huge pockets we could fit both our hands into. 🙂

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      2. Thanks. I have done two live readings, but I couldn’t wait to get off the stage. The only place where I felt comfortable in front of so many eyes was the classroom, but that took ages!

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  16. I watched the video today. I felt so left out–but medical stuff trumps pleasure. It is not evident in your voice or demeanor that you were nervous. Of course an old ham like me thrives on having an audience. Your metaphorical sonnet is so very comforting. Many of us are in the winter of our years, and it is lovely to salute a partnership well served.

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