On bleak
mornings
in November,
when birdsong
is muted and rare,
the robin is the only bird
that sings throughout the year.
In the bleak gloom of winter,
more wistful than in spring,
a robin’s song
is ‘wildly tender’ –
Emily Bronte
wasn’t wrong.
© Kim M. Russell, 2016
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night: Under the Influence, brought to us by Victoria
writing in north norfolk 
This is a poem I’d like to read again right in the morning after waking up. In November, of course.
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Thanks for reading and for your lovely comment!
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I love this; I hear the robin’s song too. Without it there is winter silence, beautiful in its own way, but very different. I especially like the last 2 lines and greee:
Emily Bronte
wasn’t wrong.
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Thank you!
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I have robins here… a scruffy youngster who came into the house through the french doors the day I moved in and who comes back daily to be fed. They are wonderful little creatures.
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Ours are quite neat but so cheeky. They come up quite close.
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They do seem quite fearless when food or curiosity gets the better of them
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Lovely. I agree with Flash365.
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Thank you, Merril!
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A hopeful poem that the bleakness will be alleviated every day. American Robins are much bigger and they don’t really sing.
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Our robins are tiny, almost as small as wrens.
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Oh, is that a picture of a robin in your garden? We haven’t had the pleasure of one in ours yet, so it will be a mute November, I fear. A tender, joyful wisp of a poem, utterly delightful!
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We have a pair of robins but I haven’t been able to catch them together when I’ve had my camera to hand!
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It’s like trying to catch children all together in one picture, isn’t it?
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You are so right!
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Reblogged this on O LADO ESCURO DA LUA.
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Thank you!
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“In the bleak gloom of winter,
more wistful than in spring,
a robin’s song
is ‘wildly tender’”
I love this; how beautiful.
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Thank you!
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Oh I do wish we could have a robin here… only cawing of crows can be heard… (occasionally)
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We have crows, too, but they have been noisy this year. I have heard owls, though.
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A beautiful poem.
It’ll be nice to see a robin again. It’s been a while.
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I love it when a robin follows me round the garden.
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We have robins come here to Florida during the winter months…like a lot of other snowbirds, and I always thrill at seeing them in groups with their bright red breasts. Beautiful, Kim.
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Thank you, Gayle.
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Sadly we have no robins when winter is here ~ I love though the bird songs all throughout the year ~
Love this one Kim ~
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Thank you Grace. I’ll be over in a while to read.
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Robins are wonderful birds and your poem is lovely.
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Thank you so much1
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Outside my window, I get to see and hear so many birds. I feel blessed to be able to do so considering I live in a jam-packed city. I am always looking out for those melodious tunes of the birds that always have such a joyous tone 🙂
Your poem made me smile 🙂
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Thank you – I am thrilled I made you smile – I’m smiling right now thinking about it!
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I love this Kim, there is something so special about the friendship of a Robin. We have one in our garden who sings in the mornings and always looks out for us to return from our dog walk.
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I looked out of the window this morning and a female pheasant was strutting around the garden – I hope they all come back, – Phil the Pheasant and his girls – they’re so funny! The owls are hooting and screeching at night and the robins are about somewhere – I catch a glimpse of red every now and then when I look up from my laptop!
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How wonderful Kim to have them all in your garden! Pheasants are so funny, we see them a lot on our way to the mountains. We only have owls on the roofs when the winters are very harsh and they start hunting for domestic cats …
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Not sure I like the idea of owls hunting domestic cats – I’d better keep an eye on my two.
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We kept our cat in at night for this reason through Winter.
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The cold of winter is accorded some warmth. Good old Robins!
Hank
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Hurrah for robins!
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Lovely, Kim. I love robins and you have captured their omnipresence well!
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Thanks Jane!
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Such marvelous wonders, realizations. 🌹
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Thank you! 🐥
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Our robins are big and have become scarce now that the snow is ready to fly.
A lovely poem full of joy and hope.
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Thanks Mish! I have never seen a big robin, only our tiny ones. While I was working at my desk this afternoon, one hovered outside the window, as if it was looking in at me!
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The robins here in N.America are actually a didn’t bird completely than the European variety, so of course I imagined completely the wrong bird at first…so I appreciated the image. Lovely piece!
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Thanks Bryan!
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So peaceful and beautiful. Thanks for this lovely interlude in a world gone mad.
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Thank you – this coming week is going to be like waiting for Armageddon, so we need as much peace and beauty as we can get!
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The end is nigh!
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Ah, the sweet song of the robin… very nice poem.
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Thank you, Sean! Haven’t seen any posts from you for a while – hope you’re well.
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