Leaf-flame disappears from trees,
doused into a sodden mass
beneath my boot-clad feet,
kicked until the limp leaves lift
and fall – again.
Drizzle develops into steady rain,
but neighbours are intent on raking
and burning. Pungent billows
permeate lank laundry
on the washing line.
Boots off, safe and dry indoors,
the first fire of the season roars,
releasing smoky memories
of the November morn
when she was born.
Kim M. Russell, 3rd November 2020
My response to dVerse Poets Pub Poetics: Stoddard, Longfellow and Bryant say hello! (What does November mean to you?)
This Tuesday, Sanaa is back to stir our muses with some November inspiration from Elizabeth Drew Stoddard, Samuel Longfellow and William Cullen Bryant. She has also included some November dates of historical significance, including 5th November, which is remembered over here as Guy Fawkes Day, when some people celebrate with fireworks. For me, November smells of log fires and bonfires – a smoky month. And my daughter was born in November.
For today’s Poetics, Sanaa would like us to write poems about November and what it means to us.
writing in north norfolk 
Oh this is so well described… I think we see the same leaves falling. I would leave them instead of raking and burning though.
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Thank you, Bjorn. I wouldn’t dream of raking and burning either – I just want to jump in piles of leaves and kick them about!
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Very nice contrast between the outside and in – a sort of relief and that lovely touch of nostalgia as finale
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Thank you, Laura. November makes me nostalgic.
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“Leaf-flame disappears from trees,
doused into a sodden mass
beneath my boot-clad feet,
kicked until the limp leaves lift
and fall – again.”
The death of fall right here. Very beautifully penned and vivid! I can really feel the imagery.
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Thank you so much, Lucy.
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This is incredibly poignant, Kim 💝 I love the bouts of nostalgia in this poem 🙂 and the image “Drizzle develops into steady rain.” November has a distinct and unforgettable flavor!
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Thank you, Sanaa. November is a strange month in between the colours of October and the barrenness of December.
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Absolutely 💝💝
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This is lovely, stressing that November and the autumn is a time for warmth and reflection.
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Thanks Francis. I love everything about autumn. As a child I enjoyed nights drawing in early because I loved to see house lights come on and look through windows at people having their tea.
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Nice! I see you are a Joni fan too! I adore her music and play it all the time. If I had to pick a favourite album right now it would be ‘For The Roses’ but I love all of them
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Why do people rake up the lovely leaves? I’ve never understood it. It can be a dreary time of year, what better way to spend it than having a baby!
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I refuse to rake up leaves – I love kicking up the piles too much!
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The blackbirds do too 🙂
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I love this slice of November you have conjured – the leaves, the rain, and the leaves burning in the pungent air. Beautiful!
I realized, now that we have moved into town, I will miss burning our leaves and that smell!
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Thankyou so much for reading and commenting!
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Oh this is a perfect tactile and sensory presentation, KR. I could hear the rustle.
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Thanks so much, Ron. here’s an ice-breaker joke I used to tell new Year 7 pupils when I was a teacher. What do you call a woman with leaves on her head? Mrs Russell!
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I find this comforting! all of the descriptions made me close my eyes and thing of the season
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Thank you so much!
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A special month this November to you and your daughter Kim. I love the smell of the leaves raking and burning in the steady rain. We only rake our leaves here, and there is a contractor who comes around to pick them up. Have a good week.
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Thank you, Grace. We don’t even rake teh leaves, so it’s other people’s smoke I sniff. Sometimes it’s not leaves; teh lady over the back has horses and she burns their dirty straw, so I have to be careful when I hang out washing!
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I could see it, feel it, smell it. Aw, that first indoor fire… ‘releasing smoky memories’ – a warming poem.
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Thank you!
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You bring back childhood memories, especially when we could burn leaves. The large piles of oak leaves to hide in and run through. The smell of the smoke as they burned, mesmerized by the flames and warmed by them. My younger son was born in November.
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Thank you, Lisa. Our indoor fire will be lit soon, it’s getting chiller by the day.
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“releasing smoky memories,” I love that line!
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Thank you!
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You’re welcome!
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Lovely memory and vivid images.
Stay safe
Much💙love
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Thank you, Gillena, you too!
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It’s lovely that you have your daughter’s birthday to celebrate this month, as I have my son’s. I think your use of alliteration works really well here to convey the dampness of the season. I also love that first fire of autumn, though I have to do without this year! Central heating works to keep out the cold but it just isn’t the same.
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Thank you, Ingrid. I sent Ellen money for her birthday, but there will be a lot of Face-timing going on this Christmas – I don’t want to miss Lucas opening his presents.
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I love this from the title, November Burning, to the precious memory of the “November morn, when she was born.” I can smell the leaves burning and feel when the boots come off, good job!
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Thank you, Tricia.
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They’ve outlawed those leaf fires here, but they were a highlight of my childhood autumn memories. (K)
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Although I like the smell, I hope there is a global ban soon to save the planet.
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I love your description of the leaves and the smoky smell of the burning… I always loved that smell.
P.S. I have been getting very loud beeping sounds and a demanding ad from McAffee security trying to get me to buy their service. It just all of a sudden pops up on your site. I has done that two or three times. Don’t know what can be don about it??
Dwight
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Thank you, Dwight. I don’t know what’s going on with WordPress at the moment. I found your comment in the trash! I’ve not noticed any beeping or ads from McAfee. Sadly, unless we pay higher fees, we will continue to be bothered by unwanted ads and other stuff. Sometimes, I can’t like or comment on other people’s posts, and I know of a number of others who have had problems liking or commenting on mine. The more changes WordPress makes, the worse it seems to get – but they haven’t managed to get rid of all the unwanted spam. I’m so fed up with porn and people trying to sell me Viagra! Have you been bomnarded with ‘Muchas gracias’ spam at all?
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This was the only spam I saw that came up on your site. Don’t know what is going on. On a lot of sites that come form google are noted at the top as Not Secure. This includes d’Verse!
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Oh drat, now your laundry will smell of smoke! You depict a rather dreary November day. Here, we are having a streak of luck with bright sunshine and temps in the 60’s. It would be a good day for laundry!!
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It’s so cold here we had first on the ground and ice on the windshields this morning, Bev. Luckily, there was no smoke today and my washing smells fresh!
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a smoky month and birth of a special daughter … a real mix of emotions here Kim!
I prefer my more temperate climate
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Thanks Kate. I bet you do😊
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Love this poem. In my area no burning is allowed. It’s been like that since the mid-90s. Perhaps we’re a bit ahead of the times. Those leaves do make good compost though!
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Thanks Misky! Our garden is full of fallen leaves – and it’s going to stay that way!
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It’s been so long since I have smelled burning leaves- thank you for lovely memories Kim.
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😊🍁🍂
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You have painted a stunning word picture poem … I smell the leaves burning, the lank damp laundry on the line …. simply beautiful.i
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Thank you so much, Helen!
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