November

❄️ a poem for the season

November

The month of November

¹

rings out

like a warning shot from a long rifle.

Shortened northern daylight

gathers the cool

reminders that winter,

its dark freeze, is on the way.

Better get ready

stockpile

prepare.

Autumn is almost over

carolling almost begun

Time to unwrap your long red and white striped

scarves and matching white maple-leaf mittens

cheer the game of shinny up at the rink

with chairs scratching the surface

toddlers are earning their Canadian keep.

Knee high snow

drifts under

yellow street lights hugging the rink.

November, its that long shot month

the warning, winter’s almost begun

the days are yet to get even shorter

Christmas lights arise on the horizon

Leaves fall to the ground

and the warning shot is fired

winter’s first blast has won yet another round.

❄️

1. November is excerpted from “From the Wild: a collection of original poems” page 29.
©2015 Mary Ann Archibald. All rights reserved.