Clouds
After the Storm
The heavens opened
with a burst of raindrops
that blurred the landscape.
As the storm cleared it left clouds
gathered in the setting light.
Over Monadnock they floated -
swirled in strange, eerie
and fascinating shapes.
A time to appreciate the beauty
found in the mountains
and a wish to experience
this singular vision again.
Lainie Senechal
April Moon
April Moon
The darkened sky opens to reveal
a quite full pink moon which was submerged
under waves of thick black and gray clouds.
Its brilliant light shines so softly on
the great sprays of gold forthysia
that spring straight up like large, loose feathers
from the base of each broad, sturdy bush.
At dawn the air is rich with bird song
while spring’s sweet breath wafts in gentle wind.
Lainie Senechal
Daffodil Buds
Early April
In spring sun remnants of snow have melted,
dripped from roof’s edges, formed rivers on path.
Robins arrive in garden, search for worms
under last autumn’s decaying brown leaves.
The shoots of emerging daffodils stretch
their long, supple, green limbs to the clear sky -
gather armfuls of golden, solar rays.
Lainie Senechal
Sea Smoke
Ice Off
The March sun pours down
on the shiny ice layer
that covers the lake.
It slips slowly away,
shrinking daily, foot by foot.
What was solid is now fluid -
underneath the fish waken
from their winter torpor
and light dances sprightly
on the rolling waves.
Lainie Senechal
The Rhythm of Bird Songs
Carried by the Wind
The transition into the next season
is not swift and is now suspended
by snow that blurs the scene
as it falls, like soft feathers,
on the still frozen turf.
One does not need to squint
to perceive the signs of spring.
They are carried by the wind
in new songs from birds
preparing to mate and nest -
avian messages about the change
that will shortly arrive.
Lainie Senechal
Valentine Moon
Say It Isn’t Snow
Although the seeds of desire
for an early spring beginning
take life in warm February afternoons,
the season circles around
and nothing but clumps of snow
bloom on tips of bare stalks.
A look forward, a leap back,
such is the whim of
late winter’s fickle days.
Lainie Senechal
Blizzard
In the Midst
Sheets of snow,
hurried by harsh gales,
circle the house in white veils.
No sun appears today.
Time to hunker down
near the fire where
flames flicker and dance
beyond the beat
of winter’s steady drum.
Lainie Senechal
Ice Boat on Lake Attitash
January Mornings
Chilly January mornings continue
with no turn in the weather.
A ragged rim of thin ice
along the frozen lake shore
barely covers frosty pebbles
as a flutter of wings settle
on the winter feeder.
Lainie Senechal
First Snow in Angel Garden
Legacy
The snow, falling softly,
spreads a silent blanket
over the winter landscape.
However, it does not sooth
a heart heavy with grief.
Love cannot be contained -
defiantly crosses death’s boundary.
The words will remain,
insightful and strong.
The burden of remembrance
lighten by these verses
that trace his thoughts
and serve as a guide
to hold him among us
through the transit of time.
Lainie Senechal 1/7/2022
Amesbury’s beloved second Poet Laureate, Stephen Wagner, left us after a long and courageous struggle with cancer. His contribution to the community and culture of Amesbury will be greatly missed. My deepest condolences to his family.
Cloudy Sky
New Year’s Mist
The New Year opens softly
with no whoosh of winter winds -
only a mantle of mist
that masks the way forward.
Dark trunks stand stoically
as they wait for a change
but all movement as ceased.
A future full of secrets
which cannot be foretold.
The fog has secured
any chance to glimpse
what lies on the further shore.
One hopes for an answer.
Silence is the only reply.
Lainie Senechal