Author Archives: Lainie

Early Spring in the Contoocook Valley

Where the Wood Frogs Sing

Where the Wood Frogs Sing

Early Spring in the Contoocook Valley

Winter’s poor stretch of weather

replaced by warmer days.

The Contoocook’s current continues

its swift flow, fed by melting snow.

Daffodils have only green shoots

but a chorus of wood frogs

sweeps across an ephemeral pool.

The wave of crimson haze

along the forest’s edge foretells

the appearance of fresh leaves.

Watchers on the hills attempt

to catch the hawks’ migration

as nuthatches search for cozy crevices

in which to construct their new nests.

Lainie Senechal

Spring’s Arrival

First Blossoms of Spring

First Blossoms of Spring

Spring’s  Arrival

The brisk spring wind

follows a day of calm.

Snow piles remain on edges

which create an undertow

of remembrance for winter’s woes.

The dry, rust-colored leaves,

remnants of last autumn,

swirl in the stiff breeze.

Our thoughts are pulled

towards days of expected warmth -

a time when beaches will open

and a wave of green will

spread across the barren land.

Even the weeds will be welcomed,

at least for a while.

Lainie Senechal

March Nor’Easter

IMG_0238Winter Birds

March Nor’Easter

The blizzard brings heavy, wet snow

that nests in the empty boughs

and coats long, thin ends of branches

like thick braids of white hair.

The view disappears among

the intricate tangle of weighty limbs,

as birds, with feathers fluffed, flock to feeder.

A rush of wind and a thunderous crash

splinters an overburdened tree.

Lights go dim and power is lost

to the tumult of the storm.

Lainie Senechal

February Reverie

Wolf Moon

Wolf Moon

February Reverie

The Wolf Moon shines

through the leafless trees

and reflects in silver

on the piles of snow that

remain in the empty forest.

On warm February winds

our spirits are lifted -

thoughts soar to spring.

A dream of the garden calls,

where we will spread compost

on the softened soil to plant

seeds for summer’s plenty.

Lainie Senechal

After the Storm

IMG_0205The Year of the Rabbit

After the Storm

Monadnock’s mountaintop

wears a blanket of white,

while the river’s swift flow

conquers the cold.

Its dark water divides

a land now graced

with an ivory cloak.

Limbs coated with snow

bow low to the earth.

In the depths of winter,

from a series of storms,

the forest is transformed.

Lainie Senechal

Outlook

Luca's Gift

Luca’s Gift

Outlook

In the exhilaration

of a fresh beginning

we wish for a New Year

that rises like a phoenix –

fiery, bright and strong.

The chasm of time

stretches wide before us,

too much distance to leap,

but each day builds

a slow bridge to the other side.

The ashes of the old year

are swept completely away.

Hopes and expectations

swirl in our thoughts

and mingle with anxiety

for what may lie ahead.

Lainie Senechal

New Year’s Beauty

Apple Blossom Amaryllis

Apple Blossom Amaryllis

New Year’s Beauty

Only the dregs of snow

remain in the deep woods.

Winter has slowed into

milder moments that

feel like spring.

The Contooocock flows

soundlessly against its

stiff, frozen banks.

The swift current is sleek

and dark like ebony silk.

Every New Year is unique –

each beginning brings

its own style of beauty.

Lainie Senechal

Passage

 

November Along the Contoocook

November Along the Contoocook

Passage

At dusk an aura surrounds the moon –

night’s reverie is stirred when

the first snow storm appears

with large flakes falling like

feathers shaken from the heavens.

They evaporate in a warming dawn.

Although the day is mild,

bare branches and white patches

scattered in the deep woods

inspire an undercurrent of feeling

that the season is not steady

and a change will soon arrive.

Lainie Senechal

Autumn Transition

Moonlight Over the Delta A Tribute to Indigenous Artist Shane Pickett

Moonlight Over the Delta
A Tribute to Indigenous Artist Shane Pickett

Autumn Transition

The moon, once masked by leaves,

now shines in silver through

the stark branches of the forest

and shimmers in the river’s swift flow.

At dawn fog obscures the horizon

shifting objects into strange shapes.

The warm autumn afternoon is a bridge

between summer’s sultry heat

and the coming winter’s chilly winds.

Lainie Senechal

Announcement: Lainie will have art and poetry in this event – KAJI ASO STUDIO
49th Anniversary Celebration
A SPOT OF BEAUTY
Art, Music & Poetry IN-PERSON: Saturday, Nov. 12th at 7:00pm to 8:30pm
at Kaji Aso Studio, 40 Saint Stephen Street, Boston  and ONLINE: Sunday, Nov. 13th at 7:00pm