Winter Trees
An Experiment in Personification of Nature
Brittle bones of countless, fragile fingers
Beckoning an all-too-distant sun
Bejeweled by the morning rain that lingers
Frozen, crystal clear upon each one
---
Stripped so recently of Autumn's glory,
Naked to the cruel, assailing wind,
They beg the gods to end the winter's story
And dress them in profusion once again.
***
Autho r's Note: This poem was something of a turning point for me. It was originally written long before Vocal existed, as a challenge to myself to write about the first thing I saw when I looked out my dining room window.
The idea was sparked by a contest I'd read about on a poetry site, and I entered it, which was something I'd never done with my poetry. It won the Editor's Choice award. There was no prize for that, but I was amazed it was chosen at all. I've written poetry for most of my life, but had never considered publishing it, online or otherwise. I've crossed the online threshold. I'm still considering the otherwise.
Thank you for reading my work!
About the Creator
Dana Crandell
Dad, Stedpad, Grandpa, Husband, lover of Nature and dogs.
Poet, Writer, Editor, Photographer, Artist and Tech/Internet nerd. Content writer by trade. Vocal Creator by choice.
Reader insights
Outstanding
Excellent work. Looking forward to reading more!
Top insights
Heartfelt and relatable
The story invoked strong personal emotions
Easy to read and follow
Well-structured & engaging content
Expert insights and opinions
Arguments were carefully researched and presented
Compelling and original writing
Creative use of language & vocab
Eye opening
Niche topic & fresh perspectives
Masterful proofreading
Zero grammar & spelling mistakes
On-point and relevant
Writing reflected the title & theme
Comments (24)
lovely. the personification works really well here, yeah, and it's an experiment that definitely payed off in your piece. nice!!
Beautiful work!
i like this story ,you can see my story clic here https://vocal.media/futurism/the-digital-revolution-q630n0unw
This is absolutely beautiful. Pop it on a PDF document next to a beautiful ink drawing and sell signed prints… I’ll buy one right away
Wow. This is just beautiful, Dana. Well done.
What a great exercise to write what you see, and be able to put it into words!
I love winter settings!
Crystalline beauty! Thank you.
Good LORD you're versatile! This is such a beautiful poem!
It's honestly beautiful.
Love this read❤️
This is lovely! Nature is one of the best muses, there is always something that can inspire, well done!
I have dropped in to get my ‘whenever I can’ dose of Dana. Now sated as I again read and ponder. Enveloped in your nature poetry words: ‘Bejeweled by the morning rain that lingers Frozen, crystal clear upon each one’ Pauline 🌸
Wow Dana, this was hauntingly beautiful! I am breath taken and literally sitting in awe of the mastery I am witnessing. I'll be returning to you page for more soon!
The iambic rhythm here is so perfect, especially in the last stanza. It’s such a satisfying read, I had to reread it to get the full impression. Love when poems demand a second look like this. Great job! 👏
Taking a minute with the last line, which echoes such tranquility. Love it ❤️
That's beautiful Dana, though I'd rather like to think the trees are enjoying their rest. According to Suzanne Simard's research we might just be able to ask them someday- that would be pretty cool. I really like your use of consonance; it seems to be underused nowadays don't you think?
This painted an amazing picture. Great job with the structure and rhymes
nice
A beautiful poem - Anneliese
Just beautiful Dana! Now, whenever I see branches encased in ice (which I absolutely love) I'll remember your poem! ❄️🙂
Nature poetry is my favorite. This is beautiful.
Very few poems I've read on here have stirred something in me, but this one did... Really very beautiful and gently piercing- my favorite kind of poem.
This is gorgeous! 😍 I felt the longing of the branches for the sun. The first line is stunning and so powerful! Well done :)