Tuesday, 17 October 2023

A Late Night Muse

 Can be a help or a hindrance, and I'm not certain which one had me in its grip yesterday.
 
Although I knew this week's P&SU had a four-way prompt, it was AIR in it wildest form that grabbed my attention, thanks to several forty-plus wind speeds that have been swirling around my house recently...

Having been somewhat busy this week, I only set out to write something down late last night,  but knew I'd need a rethink in the morning, as my brain was beginning to switch off, never mind the Muse! :-)
And here's the result so far...

Air in Motion

Now winds no longer caress sun-soft skins
with delicate fingertips. They scour lips
with abrasive bites to rough and redden them,
as noses glow, eyes water, shoulders hunch 
against Winter's whirling, devil-dance storms.

Rushing Air becomes a hard task-master,
makes its young apprentices learn spiteful
arts of trickery. Their hoar frost cloaks, and ice 
- black as devil's spawn - smites victims down,
urges drivers to panic, lose control. 

For an invisible power, Wind holds
the strength of giants in its hidden depths.


18 comments:

  1. An invisible power indeed. This feels just spooky enough for October.

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    1. I do believe you're right! Nothing spookier than a cold blast on the back of one's neck in an otherwise warm room. :-)

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  2. . . . and we're not in the icy grip of winter yet, either. Something else to look forward to:-)

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    1. Or to prepare for hibernation before Winter proper arrives? (i.e. keep to hand a good book, an extra blanket - or hot water-bottle even?! ) LOL

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  3. A powerful piece of writing I love your imagery like 'caress sun-soft skins
    with delicate fingertips' and that last line
    We had last week winds of 150km an hour. I was walking and a huge branch came down just in front of me.

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    1. That is seriously windy! And thank goodness the branch missed you. :-)

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  4. So true. We can't see wind but we can certainly see the results of its power.

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    1. And very devastating views they can be...

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  5. You are so right about the invisible power of wind. We can harness its power for good, but beware when it gets angry. :)

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    1. Methinks that can occasionally be the same with short-tempered human beings - keep well clear!

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  6. AS perceptive as usual, Pen, with some inventive contacts in wind speeds.

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    1. OK, Doc, there's no hiding behind your moniker...hehehe. I know who you are!

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  7. Wow, you sure brought that vividly alive for us!

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    1. Hmm...words as well as winds can carry much weight - but hopefully, in a good way.

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  8. I like your "late night", both the intro and your beginning. I often pen my with the smart phone sitting on the edge of the bed, late night with the "other" is sleeping or when I wake up in the middle of the night. Instead of laying down I take heed by my Muse's crying to be let loose and write. Just now it said I could name your poem "Chapstick Air" and make reference to that periodically or spring it at the end, or beginning.
    ..

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    1. Snort, giggle and guffaw - you tell your Muse to write his own titles, and leave mine to me!
      Seriously though. I think 'chapstick' would be translated as a 'lip-salve'' by me, which could conjure up an entirely different poetical offering. I could imagine soft lips just asking to be kissed!!! Ooer, whatever next?

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  9. I can feel the frosty burn in ever line. Such vivid imagery...

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    1. Isn't that the magic of words? They can paint pictures as vivid as any Old Master, with feelings as an added bonus to drive their message home. I now send you a little jar of 'thought-salve' to counteract the frosty burn! ♥x♥

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