POETRY | SENRYU SERIES
Seasons Marked by Temperament
Dusted-off poem on the foibles of marriage
i.
Winter, a shut-in
my cold-crested toes shiver
lonely under covers
numb and abandoned
you’ve slept on the couch again
blanketed by snow
frozen bitterness
another farce of marriage
biting, wind-chilled bones
ii.
Spring, life’s renewal
but no gardens flourish here
abandoned as weeds
I plow-on ahead
you crush young shoots underfoot
forsaken efforts
blue jays sing
no melody enchants me
detached by your screams
iii.
Summer’s angered heat
your thunderous rage strikes me
tosses me asunder
trapped inside my room
no sunlight upon my face
artificial air
from window, watching
you bar-b-que a new life
I am coal and ash
iv.
Autumn, death imparts
I am dry, skeletal leaves
scattered by gust-winds
rotted by your reign
raked by tormented anger
my spirit buried
trampled by your rage
you disregard the dying
no life with you here
©2013 Lori Carlson. All Rights Reserved. (Revised 2020)
Lori Carlson writes Poetry, Fiction, Articles, Creative Non-Fiction and Personal Essays. Most of her topics are centered around Love, Relationships, Spirituality, Life Lessons, Mental Health, Nature, Loss, Death, and the LGBTQ+ community. Check out her personal Medium blog here.
