Winter Overload

Comments: 44

Anne B. Grote Feb 28, 2007, 12:22pm EST

yes, the snow is heavy hearted for the spring lovers. Thanks for this!

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d g. Feb 28, 2007, 12:30pm EST

It's the ice storms I fear.

Excellent job of bringing on the anxiety!

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gautami tripathy Feb 28, 2007, 12:34pm EST

I like the image of splaying branches.

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Jim Ross Feb 28, 2007, 12:35pm EST

Hi, Amy--Thank you. I don't really know what is expected of the form, yet.

My pleasure, Anne. I love your phrase, "heavy hearted for the spring lovers."

Hi, Rebecca--It's a frigid happening here in the Sierras, now. Thank you for your comment.

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Mary McCartt Feb 28, 2007, 12:39pm EST

This is great. I always feel so sad for the trees that give way under all the snow. You paint such lovely pictures with your words.

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Jim Ross Feb 28, 2007, 12:39pm EST

Sorry, d m.. I was just trying to work with the form. :-(

Hi, Gautami--There was one place this morning where the branches did that just as I passed--missed me. Whew! I'm glad you enjoyed the image. Thank you.

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Jim Ross Feb 28, 2007, 12:40pm EST

Thank you, Mary. They sure are being tested here in the Sierras, today!

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Cheryl W. Feb 28, 2007, 12:42pm EST

Wonderful, Jim. I can see this so clearly in my mind.

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*LORA* M. Feb 28, 2007, 12:45pm EST

cool..........

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David D. Gilbaugh Feb 28, 2007, 12:52pm EST

I am outdoors in a winter in my mind. I think I will go get a fresh orange off the tree in my back yard to compensate, burrrr! He he heee!!!

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Jim Ross Feb 28, 2007, 12:57pm EST

Thank you, Cheryl and Lora.

Ok . . . rub it in, Douglas! That orange sounds great!

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Virginia M. Feb 28, 2007, 1:04pm EST

Too much snow, Jim!:)

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Jim Ross Feb 28, 2007, 1:08pm EST

I agree, Virginia, but when summer comes and the lake is full, I'll sure smile.

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Jody Says Feb 28, 2007, 3:34pm EST

I feel bad for you guys, really, did I mention I rode my motorcycle today?
Nice poem Jim, I'm glad we dont get weather like that.

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Pat M. Feb 28, 2007, 3:47pm EST

All I can say is, I'm glad we don't have snow.

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Charles D. Feb 28, 2007, 9:45pm EST

Jim your'e remarkable with such few words. Great and a 10!!

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Mariana T. Feb 28, 2007, 9:46pm EST

great image...wow love it! Salud.

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Dan B. Feb 28, 2007, 10:05pm EST

Each Rome Now Napped
Ranches PlayED.

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Granny Janny H. Mar 1, 2007, 1:19am EST

cool

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Jim Ross Mar 1, 2007, 2:08am EST

Ok, Jody, rub it in; my bike looked forlorn in the garage today. Oh, well, its time is coming. Thanks for the nice comment.

If you can hang out, it's nice, Pat, otherwise . . . well . . . it's "slip slidin' away"!

Not Gainsville, Carson, but West Palm Beach; enjoyed it very much. Thanks for a great comment--loved your narrative! Especially "mercury's bottoming out in the bulb . . . ". Great image; makes me want to put on my thermals.

Thanks for the 10, Charles, I appreciate it very much.

Salud, Mariana. I'm glad you enjoyed it.

Hey, Dan--Thanks for that. Nice to see your ballcap grace the page--missed ya!

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Jim Ross Mar 1, 2007, 2:16am EST

Hi, Jan--Thanks for that. :-)

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John F Walter Mar 1, 2007, 8:16am EST

Very concise and effective image, Jim. Gave me a reflex chill.

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Jim Ross Mar 1, 2007, 9:58am EST

We'll have spring soon, John, and warmth! Buds will lift through compost, and springs will burble with crystalline water; vistas will again be unobstructed by mist and smoke and other signs of winter. My mind latches onto the "warmth", right now--no more goose bumps! Thank you for the pronouncement--it is appreciated in full measure.

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Minakshi w. Mar 1, 2007, 12:24pm EST

Jim,
Where I am right now, I wish it would snow! Reminded me of days when we used to play'dodge the snow branches' as kids.
Lovely short verse.

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Jim Ross Mar 1, 2007, 3:11pm EST

Thank you, Minnie.

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Connie C. Mar 1, 2007, 11:13pm EST

nice

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Jim Ross Mar 1, 2007, 11:22pm EST

Thank you, ~Connie~.

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Richard Melendez Mar 2, 2007, 2:19am EST

Jim... Living in the Midwest, I can so identify with this image in words.

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Jim Ross Mar 2, 2007, 4:45am EST

Hi, Richard--Thanks for the compliment and reminder (we lived in Missouri for awhile). in California, our quick growing oaks and conifers tend to be brittle giants; if a limb goes, the whole neighborhood thinks a madman with a gun has run amok. Some of your slower growing trees tend toward flexibility, and bow gracefully with less snow weight--graceful, with great splay on the ground.

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David P. Mar 3, 2007, 5:06pm EST

A sequal?

Unrelinting gravity
load stressed
Boughs release

I need to learn the canons of Tanka, I doubt this conforms. But yours is splendid.

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David P. Mar 3, 2007, 6:12pm EST

Yikes, I looked up Tanka. I here's another attempt directed at my flawed sequal:

Tanka attempt botched
Syllable counts gone awry
Careless writing fails
Like the frog's tongue missed plump flies
Leaves the croaking bard hungry

Live and learn.

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Jim Ross Mar 3, 2007, 6:51pm EST

I'm not sure this conforms to any form, David. Its design was simply to fit into the Shortest of Verses Group. Tanka, at least as I understand it, is poetry traditionally composed of 31 syllables in 5 lines. The syllables are arranged as 5, 7, 5, 7, 7. Each line being a complete idea or image as in haiku. The seasonal element is less stressed in tanka. If you're not already a member, perhaps you'd like to join us at Tanka. Great people, great tanka there.

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Jim Ross Mar 3, 2007, 7:37pm EST

Great tanka, David--and grin-evoking. How about publishing it to the Tanka Group? Your work needs greater coverage! I see my last comment posted after the tribulations of ranidae's bad marksmanship--sorry.

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Jim Ross Mar 3, 2007, 9:11pm EST

I understand your sentiment about Florida, Carson. Regarding tanka, a good place to discover more is Tanka Poetry at Wikipedia. The form is the predecessor to haiku. Personally, I find the additional two lines liberating, allowing additional dramatic content room for display. Hope this helps.

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Jim Ross Mar 5, 2007, 9:17am EST

My pleasure, Carson. Keep up the good work.

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Ann R. Mar 6, 2007, 9:32am EST

Thanks for the wonderful introduction...for me, of this poetry form.

I complain about the snow too...but I love having REAL seasons. My summer life will begin soon.

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Jim Ross Mar 6, 2007, 12:02pm EST

My pleasure, Ann; I'm glad you enjoyed the poem. I can feel your anticipation of that time ahead, when everywhere you look, life is active and hibernation is but a strange moment in a bear's life.

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Jim Ross Mar 27, 2007, 8:58am EDT

Everywhere I look now I see vestiges of winter's presence, Kimberly; at least on a personal level I can see some spring cleanup before my eyes. Thank you.

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