Ode to the Four Seasons
Winter, spring, summer or fall
All you have to do is call
And I'll be there, yes, I will
You've got a friend
~Carole King
“Winter is an etching,
spring a watercolor,
summer an oil painting
and autumn a mosaic of them all.”
–Stanley Horowitz
Etching– Winter
The sun seems so distant in the skyline
An arctic air mass envelopes the land
The gray nimbus clouds a portentous sign
The much-feared winter weather is at hand
The blizzard’s here; total blinding whiteout
As vast terrain becomes white glacial strand
Frozen snowfields formidable redoubt
All but treetops buried in windswept snow
On a hillside a cabin with lights out
Early dawn gives the sky a silv’ry glow
A winter scene etching in shades of gray
As the whole world bathes in chiaroscuro
Up above layers of leaden clouds sway
The sun refuses to brighten the day
Watercolor– Spring
Snow melting from majestic mountain peaks
Down waterfalls, gorges and crevices
Onwards whitewater streams, rivulets, creeks
Through rolling meadows dressed in irises
The cold snowmelt joins the roaring river
Its banks lined with cypress and flow’ring trees
The mist paints the world in lace-like silver
In surreal watercolor pastel shades
The icy scene last traces of winter
Up a tall tree a songbird serenades
Joyful welcoming the advent of spring
Basking in the bless’d morn before it fades
While the river to the ocean flowing
Tiny waves in the sunshine glimmering
Oil on Canvas– Summer
Spring rains snowmelt finally out to sea
Deep blue ocean against the light blue sky
Yachts white sails crimson banners flying free
Atop white sandy beaches seagulls fly
Ashore multi-hued umbrellas galore
Skimpy clad bathers deeply tanned and spry
Kids running, as brightly colored kites soar
Nicely dressed ladies sweetly sipping wine
Gentlemen watching white waves crash and roar
Renoir’s oil on canvas! summer scene divine
Colors warm and glowing, vividly bright
While far at sea white clouds in the skyline
Alas, the view will disappear by night
When shadows roll to extinguish sunlight
Mosaic – Autumn
As summer ends, rush of cooler weather
Heralds the welcome arrival of fall
Gentle zephyr the autumn’s bellwether
The world finally free of summer’s thrall
Red yellow purple gold drape the forest
While fallen leaves piled high near a stone wall
Amber fields, rolled hay laid down east to west
Multi-hued fallen leaves and verdant pine
From the sky, intricate mosaic fest
The rich autumn colors always a sign
Of the horn of plenty; of earth’s bounty
Harvest’s in the silos, blessings divine
Autumn’s unique with unsurpassed beauty
Dynamic mosaic for all to see!
Recapitulation
Trees are naked except ones ever green
The landscape barren and the ground frozen
Last night’s snow created the winter scene
In the meadows a color explosion
Columbine marsh marigold bluebonnet
Spring bursting into a floral ocean
Midsummer but not the hottest day yet
The dog days, the doldrums are still to come
Mercury will rise sunrise to sunset
Cool weather with the coming of autumn
In gentle zephyr a fallen leaf spins
Every other leaf becomes a blossom
When a season ends another begins
While they be alike, seasons never twins
07-01-2023
© Vic Evora
I wrote this poem in terza rima. It is made up of five sections, a total of 70 lines, all in iambic pentameter. The first four sections describe a scene from each of the four seasons. The last section is a recapitulation.
When I read the quote by Stanley Horowitz I was impressed to write a poem describing the four seasons. Each one distinct and magical in their own unique ways. I hope you enjoy it.
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