is no pinchpenny,
his gifts are many:
pinking our cheeks,
glazing the world,
sprigs of icicles,
a landscape gift-wrapped
with ribbons of ice and snow.
Even as light fades,
a flock of waders lifts,
dives and twists,
white wing tips flash
in January slush.
Kim M. Russell, 22nd January 2024
Image by Sarah Cervantes on Unsplash
It’s Monday 22nd January and, at the dVerse Poets Pub, De is our host for the Quadrille, where we are writing poems in a pinch: tiny poems of just forty-four words including some form of the word ‘pinch’.
writing in north norfolk 
I like this a lot… I grew up with the books with drawings of Elsa Beskow, and there is this book about a boy getting skis for christmas and how he visit king winter…
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Thank you, Björn. I’m following the link now.
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I wish I had used that image.
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It is one of those images I grew up with… Google Elsa Beskow and you find other pictures.
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Will do.
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Love the many gifts of winter – specially flock of waders lifting and diving. Alas, too much of ice, and it is winter chill and slush.
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Thanks Grace. Our snow disappeared quite quickly and now we have storm following storm, with very high winds. I’m not sure which I prefer.
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Oooh I love the wordplay in this one, Kim 😍 especially; “pinking our cheeks.” Winter does that, yes! ❤️❤️
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Thank you kindly, dear Sanaa. ❤
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Intriguing shapes too to your winterscape poem – I liked the pinchpenny /pinched cheek mirroring
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Thank you, Laura.
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Old Man Winter don’t play, but yet we get such joy from his offerings. Love this one, Kim.
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Thanks Lisa!
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You’re welcome.
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Oh so many gifts…but I wish we could return some. I really enjoyed where you went with this, Kim.
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Thank you, Mish!
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Gifts of winter a novel and grateful way to luv the season. Bravo!!!
Much♡love
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Thanks, Gillena, and much love to you!
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Lovely imagery with “sprigs of icicles” and “ribbons of ice and snow”. You’ve even captured the yuck of the January slush at the end.☺️ Were you going for icicles with the shape or am I overreaching?😅
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Thanks Melisa. Icicles and a snowy landscape.
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Wonderful imagery. A lovely poem and I would love to pinch a bit of this Old Man Winter!
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Cheers Dianne!
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Winter definitely pinches, but such beautiful imagery! I especially like the last stanza.
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Thanks so much, Merril!
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You’re welcome, Kim!
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Wonderful images, and I love the way that you have used space in your poem Kim. Such a great piece!
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Thank you, Kim!
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Mr. Winterhater says: One man’s gift is another man’s burden.
Quadrilliffic work, though! Thanks.
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Thank you! I’m not a fan of winter either, Ron. But it does look lovely from behind a window.
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Beautiful write, Kim. I love that final stanza with the grace of the waders and then the last word slush… I haven’t lived much in places where it snows and I love the idea of it but people who deal with it every year soon have more negative things to say. Slush is one of those words that might be negative but you have included it in a way to make it beautiful.
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Thank you so much!
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I love the imagery! I can tell you embrace the beauty of winter.
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Thank you, Susan.
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A very creative poem, Kim. Old man winter has left lots of gifts for sure…. I am read for some spring gifts!
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Thank you, Dwight. Spring gifts are very welcome!
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I love the movement, chill and thrill of this, Kim. Sends a shiver.
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Thank you, De, and I’m glad you hot the shiver!
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I like the creativity of describing winter in this poem. Well done.
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Thank you, Maria.
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There is beauty in every season. (K)
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There certainly is, Kerfe. I don’t like being out in the snow, but I love to look at it through the window.
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You can feel the cold fingers of winter!
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Thanks Christine. I’m glad that our snow has disappeared, but storms have been creating havoc recently.
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I think we are finally over all the rain!
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those waders at the end – you really have captured their swing and flicker. gorgeous, Kim x
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Kim,
Your vivid portrayal of Old Man Winter’s gifts paints a picturesque and engaging scene! ❤
~David
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Thank you, David!
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You found something beautiful to say about winter. I especially like the sight of that final stanza!
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Seeing the beauty of winter through your eyes is dizzyingly lovely, Kim.
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Thanks so much, Dora.
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You have captured that ‘old man winter’ to a tee Kim 🙌
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Thank you, Ange.
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“Old Man Winter
is no pinchpenny,
his gifts are many:”
I love that, and then how you list the many treasures he gives us. Really enjoyed the personification 🙂
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Thank you, Sunra!
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beautiful imagery… ❤ gift-wrapped landscape especially..
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Thank you!
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The old man gets his way but once a year… your poem is a delight: the pink cheeks bring cute images as do the ribbons and the glazing over in like confectioner’ sugar. The slush, not so much. A real pleasure to read, Kim. Thank you for this pinch poem XO
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Thank you, Selma, I’m delighted you like it!
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Lots of
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I like the turn from the initial images to the particularity of the waders and their lifting off from slush…
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Thank you, Andrew.
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This comes from left field for me as my memory of a northern winter is very mixed, delighted to experience that old man winter is no pinchpenny indeed.
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Temperatures are on the way up here, Paul, but that doesn’t rule out snow anytime up until Easter.
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Yikes, I loved snow as a child (Nottinghamshire) but not now, glad I’m here.
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Nottinghamshire isn’t that far from Norfolk.
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The gifts of winter are many and you highlighted them so beautifully, Kim. This is so lovely.
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Thank you, Punam!
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