Monday, August 12, 2013

Poetry Days... Five... On a Night of Snow


On a Night of Snow
by Elizabeth Coatsworth

Cat, if you go outdoors, you must walk in the snow.
You will come back with little white shoes on your feet,
little white shoes of snow that have heels of sleet.
Stay by the fire, my Cat.  Lie still, and do not go.
See how the flames are leaping and hissing low,
I will bring you a saucer of milk like a marguerite,
so white and so smooth, so spherical and so sweet - 
stay with me, Cat.  Outdoors the wild winds blow.

Outdoors the wild winds blow, Mistress, and dark is the night,
strange voices cry in the trees, intoning strange lore,
and more than cats move, lit by our eyes green light, 
on silent feet where the meadow grasses hang hoar - 
Mistress, there are portents abroad of magic and might, 
and things that are yet to be done.  Open the door!

6 comments:

  1. I love both cats and poetry, so I thoroughly enjoyed this piece! What fun I shall have sharing it with my 7th graders--especially the word "hoar"! ;-)
    "A poignantly penned poem portrays the puss in the picture perfectly!"

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  2. Something very Celtic about this. A poem to be read on Mull or Harris.

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  3. Beautiful....especially for the black cats we have. Thanks - nice surprise this afternoon!

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  4. Where do you manage to find these wonderfully evocative poems Pamela?

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  5. how i loved this poem + jackson kitty is sitting right next to me + i will read it to him. xxpeggybraswelldesign.com

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  6. Pamela,
    I love this poem and it certainly sounds like what our dear cat, may she rest in peace, would have said.
    Karen

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I love to read your comments! Each and every one! Though I'm always reading your comments, I may not respond in the comment section. If you want to write me directly, you may do so at pamela@pamelaterry.net. Thank you for reading!