Tag: Winter 2020

The Horse that Draws the Night | McKenzie Richardson

January 18, 2021

Bearing the rider of shadows, bring blackness beyond measure,

muscles straining with the effort of your nightly endeavor

frosted mane dancing against darkening sky

 

like moon beans, its curls and waves tuck us in tight

snowy strands protecting against winter’s harsh bite.

 

Ride on through blackness, prepare the world for sleep

hooves crack against stars as foam falls at your feet

dew descends upon earth, freezing in these chilling months

 

bring on the darkness, my Hrímfaxi, your work is nearly done

and when the night is over, Skinfaxi will bring the sun.

McKenzie Richardson lives in Milwaukee, WI. Recently, her work has been featuring in various anthologies through Black Hare Press, Iron Faerie Publishing, Dragon Soul Press, and Eerie River Publishing. She has also published a middle-grade novel, Heartstrings, as well as a poetry collaboration with Casey Renee Kiser, 433 Lighted Way.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mckenzielrichardson/

Blog: http://www.craft-cycle.com

Taste | Jaya Avendel

January 15, 2021

First day of flurries

Wood smoke and citrus make up

Bronze winter whiskey.

Jaya Avendel is a word witch from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, writing family into fantasy through poetry and prose. Her work has been published here at Whispers and Echoes, Visual Verse, and Spillwords Press, among others. She writes further at ninchronicles.com

Sideway Snow | Mark Tulin

January 13, 2021

My soul buried deep in the jaws of a blizzard

My heart yearns for a fiery hearth,

flannel-lined pants to lessen the chill,

insulated boots to keep the frostbite at bay,

and a furry hat to protect my chaffed pate

 

I keep trudging, or I’ll lose my faith

A clear sidewalk is my only salvation

A promise that Spring will be arriving

Sideway snow pummels my face

As I tangle with nature’s snowy fate.

Mark Tulin lives in California. He has authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Ariel Chart, Active Muse, among others. Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire and Twitter, Crow_writer.

Winter Stars Shine Brighter | McKenzie Richardson

January 11, 2021

They’ll tell you of earth’s rotation, the proximity of stars. As if science has all the answers.

But I know.

Scales gleaming with pearly light, the ivory dragon bedecks the sky, its body made of starlight. Frost spreads beneath each breath, dancing designs onto every surface with the fresh, clear scent of its ancient soul.

If you look into the whites of its eyes, you’ll see the beginning of time, an age long before science. Believe what you will about why the stars shine more brightly in the winter months.

But I’ve seen the dragon. I’ve looked into its eyes.

McKenzie Richardson lives in Milwaukee, WI. Recently, her work has been featuring in various anthologies through Black Hare Press, Iron Faerie Publishing, Dragon Soul Press, and Eerie River Publishing. She has also published a middle-grade novel, Heartstrings, as well as a poetry collaboration with Casey Renee Kiser, 433 Lighted Way.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mckenzielrichardson/

Blog: http://www.craft-cycle.com

Selected by the editor as a featured submission, July 2021

Let Go | Jaya Avendel

January 8, 2021

Summer wine chilled in snow

Dried flowers and beeswax candles

Moonlight in your cups.

Jaya Avendel is a word witch from the Blue Ridge Mountains of Virginia, writing family into fantasy through poetry and prose. Her work has been published here at Whispers and Echoes, Visual Verse, and Spillwords Press, among others. She writes further at ninchronicles.com

Winter evening | Goutam Dutta

January 6, 2021

An early sunset…

Curled in front of a lit fire

Beggar and stray dog.

Goutam is passionate about poetry and writes whenever and wherever something or someone touches his heart. He lives in Kolkata, India and writes poetry in English, Hindi and Bengali language. He has published two books on English poetry named “Hues of Life” and “Glimpses of life”.

Blog: straightfromtheheartgd.com

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/goutam.dutta.7169

Steam Vent Vapors | Mark Tulin

January 4, 2021

The homeless guy I pass on my way to work

has a collection bowl between his legs,

looking up with teary eyes,

saying the good lord is watching over me

as the steam vent vapors rise in February

 

Something in those words mattered

as I bent down and gave him some change,

waiting at the bus stop in the snow,

I hear his voice, his lonesome plea:

please spare a dollar for a cup of coffee.

Mark Tulin lives in California. He has authored Magical Yogis, Awkward Grace, The Asthmatic Kid and Other Stories. He has been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and featured in Vita Brevis, Amethyst Review, Ariel Chart, Active Muse, among others. Follow Mark at Crow On The Wire and Twitter, Crow_writer.

Fresh Snow | Frank Hubeny

December 23, 2020

Jim woke from his dream with a message: “You’ve got ten years, maybe eleven. Count on no more.”  The “ten years” gave him hope he’d get through this winter after a fresh foot of snow last night piled onto two already out there.

Across the road Jim heard Beatriz scream at her dogs. He considered yelling, “Merry Christmas, Beatriz!”  But he’s been there, done that, and wished he hadn’t.

With only ten years left Jim felt he might as well plow the drive to her cabin, round up her dogs, and see if she needed other help with the snow.

Frank Hubeny spends his time between Miami Beach and Northbrook, Illinois.  He has appeared in The Lyric, Snakeskin and Ancient Paths Literary Magazine.  He regularly posts poetry, short fiction and photography to https://frankhubeny.blog.

A Winter’s Tale | Arnold Blake

December 22, 2020

Nocturnal silence across the field.

 

flakes are glazing at the dim December light,

branching hefting iced and fluffy, white snow.

 

And over there, see!

 

A snow-lady, dressed in a white nightgown, shows ups in the centre of it,

blurred and tilted, with a glowing shawl over her head.

 

Hark!

 

She is singing upstream this winter’s tale,

hoping that she will be heard by the shepherds in the deep still night.

Arnold Blake holds a MA in Creative Writing. He is a tutor in online writing classes. He writes flash fiction, haiku poetry and novellas in flash.

The Knock Beneath the Ice | McKenzie Richardson

December 21, 2020

Mama forbids me from coming out this far on the ice; says it’s dangerous. But I’ve never fallen in.

The sky is darkening when I hear the tapping.

Knock, knock, knock.

I furrow my brows, trying to pinpoint its source.

Knock, knock, knock.

Laying on my stomach, I look through the translucent ice like a window to the ocean.

Eyes stare back, mere slits in a ghastly white face, black tendrils of hair like a deathly halo. The creature reaches out webbed fingers, baring a needle-pointed smile.

I run all the way home, never speaking of the Qallupilluit I’ve seen.

McKenzie Richardson lives in Milwaukee, WI. Recently, her work has been featuring in various anthologies through Black Hare Press, Iron Faerie Publishing, Dragon Soul Press, and Eerie River Publishing. She has also published a middle-grade novel, Heartstrings, as well as a poetry collaboration with Casey Renee Kiser, 433 Lighted Way.

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/mckenzielrichardson/

Blog: http://www.craft-cycle.com

Selected by the editor as a featured submission, June 2022