Tag: winter

Snowball Cider

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment
woman and man playing snowball fight

Snowball Cider

Snowflakes trickle down windowpane.
She twists bulbs tightly,
lights up the tree in green, red, and blue,
breaks apart earth and sky blanketed
in white. She sips hot apple cider
from a mug, steps onto the porch,
watches him shovel the walkway.
Ice cold ball of cotton hurls for her head,
disintegrates into powdered water droplets
when met with mug. Return fire not as friendly,
metal shovel shatters porcelain—
scalding cider splashes skin.

© 2015 Nortina Simmons

Photo by Ivan Mudruk on Pexels.com

Originally published December 16, 2015.

A child formed in the snow

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment
6-in snowman on a porch
Photo by Nortina Simmons

Two inches of the powdery stuff packed underneath a tenth of an inch of sleet and freezing rain was just enough to build my snow baby.

Her lips were red as pomegranate juice, and I used holly berries for her eyes, the pointed tip of a carrot for her nose, and rosemary stems for her arms. I slid the beaded bracelet I’d won in a gift basket from a long-forgotten charity event over her head to make a necklace.

She wasn’t the one we’d lost, but she was perfect, and she was mine. I brought her home with all the love I could manifest from my half-empty heart and made our house her home.

Continue reading “A child formed in the snow” →

Getaway

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment

Getaway

Clouds clear for icy roads.

Careful driving—cabin’s in eleven miles.

Wait to kiss me by the fireplace,

where moonlight and flames will light our bodies.

© 2021 Nortina Simmons

Originally published December 8, 2021, in response to Morning Inspiration: Writing Prompt No. 12

NoHoldsBarredPoetryWritingChallenge Day 30: Advent

white calendar on white surface
~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment 
The pitter-patter of rain
on my windowsill sounds
like the ticking of a clock
winding down to frigid
temperatures, when the
water droplets will freeze
to dust and the countdown
to Christmas commences.

© 2022 Nortina Simmons

NoHoldsBarredPoetryWritingChallenge Day 15: Revival

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment

Love Haiku #17

winter approaches
to shatter my empty heart—
your love's revival

© 2022 Nortina Simmons

NoHoldsBarredPoetryWritingChallenge Day 2: A kiss in the snow

~ Nortina S. ~ 1 Comment 
I blow a kiss in your direction.
You don't see me—
you've closed your eyes,
lifted your face to the open sky—
You welcome snow flurries to make 
soft-wet landings upon your blushing cheeks.
I'm jealous they've kissed you first.

© 2022 Nortina Simmons

NoHoldsBarredPoetryWritingChallenge Day 1: you’re so cool

~ Nortina S. ~ 1 Comment

Love Haiku #16

you're so cool—first frost
when you kiss my neck, I melt—
Winter, come quickly

© 2022 Nortina Simmons

A Lonely Lover’s Winter Wonderland

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment

She built a snowman
in the meadow, dressed him,
while shivering, in a wool
scarf and knitted sweater.
He offered his pipe between
twig fingers to heat her numbing
limbs. She kissed his coal lips,
lay naked in his hypothermic
embrace under the pelting ice.

© 2015 Nortina Simmons

No Holds Barred Poetry Writing Challenge: Day 27

~ Nortina S. ~ 1 Comment

Love Haiku #4

scoop powdery snow
into hands, bring to puckered
lips, blow me a kiss

© 2015 Nortina Simmons

No Holds Barred Poetry Writing Challenge: Day 26

~ Nortina S. ~ Leave a comment

Sleet pelts my head—
I left my hat and scarf
at home—
my hair is stiff in the
frozen air.
I trudge through the ice—
my feet numb in my boots.
I’m shivering for the warmth
of my bed and snuggie.
I enter my 2-bedroom apartment—
the air has been turned
down to 56.
Thermostat Nazi strikes again.

© 2015 Nortina Simmons