The Hollow Sound of Winter

Geese fly overhead,
chain-stitched in a skein
by the beat of wings.
The gaggle alights
on a lazy wind,
flowing like water
into the marshes,
their harsh, hollow honks
onomatopoeic
echoes of winter
past present future.

Kim M. Russell, 26th July 2018

Image result for free images skeins of geese arriving in North Norfolk for the winter
Image found on Norfolk Magazine

My poem for dVerse Poets Pub Open Link Night

This Thursday I’m hosting Open Link Night at the dVerse Poets Pub. While the pub is open to any poem of your choice, I shared a poem by Mary Oliver and a song by Kate Rusby on the theme of wild geese – continuing the bird theme I started back in February with seagulls – and have written a new poem about the sound of geese arriving in North Norfolk for the winter.

60 thoughts on “The Hollow Sound of Winter”

  4. I love the sight and sound of geese and you have captured it so beautifully here – I especially love how their ‘gaggle alights on a lazy wind’ :o) xxx

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    1. Thank you so much, Charlie. It’s the final part of a quartet I wrote this week to submit to a competition and I thought I’d try it out on the lovely folk at dVerse.

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  9. Several great lines (already mentioned) in this short brilliant piece. There was a film out 10 years ago, all about migrating birds–shot by a guy in an ultralight. This poem could be a scene in that film; so vivid with lusty details.

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  15. chain-stitched … now that is so perfect in the telling …. lovely poem Kim – rings and sings in my heart, I’m a goose lover by nature (it’s also my Native/Indigenous Birth Totem – go figure!) so I love and always wait, with anticipation and longing for their migrations ….

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  17. kaykuala

    onomatopoeic
    echoes of winter
    past present future.

    Love the sounds of the impending cold months to counter the present ‘heatwave’ scorching many places. Wonderful word-craft Kim!

    Hank

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  21. I liked how you selected the sound of the geese to talk about winter. As I think back to each experience of hearing the geese calling on their migration, these were always deep and sacred times. A signal of end of autumn and beginning of winter.

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  23. Thank you for making me look up skein. 🙂

    This poem has a haiku vibe to it. Very zen-like, in the moment, appreciating the sights and sounds of winter aloft. I enjoyed it.

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  25. Such a lovely description of geese, Kim. I always have to stop and stare–and listen to them. When my cousin was here a few weeks ago, we were watching them swim in the river–they went one-by-one in formation there, too.
    Good luck with the competition! It’s nice that it’s one where you can use something you’ve posted on your blog.

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