Friday 20 November 2015

When The North Wind Does Blow . . .

Autumn Bench:



You listen to the wind,
How it howls and rumbles round the house.
Wild and savage.
It whines and moans,
Wheedles its way through nooks and crannies,
Rattling doors and windows,
Lashing trees and tossing branches,
Blowing leaves into a flurry.
Look out of the window blurred with sheets of rain,
Sluicing down like a river.
Step out and it whips your hair into a frenzy.
Loud and elemental, exciting and scary,
Chasing black clouds swiftly across the sky.
You close your ears to its fury.
Night falls.
But sleep is impossible.
You wait,
'Til it blows itself out.
Then you notice the quiet.
The storm has passed.
You breathe a sigh of relief.
Close your eyes,
and sleep
comes
at
last . . .



Autumn Rain. www.dogwoodalliance.org
Elaine

49 comments:

  1. Great words and images. The problem is when the wind blows and you are trying to get to sleep when it goes quiet you often just wait for it to start again. Just when you decide everything is quiet it blows up again.

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    1. Thanks Sue. I seemed to lay awake listening to it - it is hard to shut it out when it is gusting so much.

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  2. Elaine, I only can say: 'How Beautiful'!

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  3. Oh, Elaine, I just love those. You have a gift. First hard freeze tonight here. Have to turn on the heater in the greenhouse. Tomorrow morning is the start of deer hunting and the poor creatures are nervous. Outside, they take a step with one leg raised like a pointer and stand staring. The hunters getting ready out in the woods have them spooked. My little deer herd that hangs around the house are very tentative.

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    1. Thanks Donna. I hate to think of the deer becoming targets - let's hope most of them survive.

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  4. A really lovely post with wonderful images and words. Flighty xx

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  5. Oh, I love your falling leaves by the bench. I can feel the wind!! Grand!

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  6. I sleet securely in the knowledge that this house has stood for 400 years. The beams creak like an old ship. The wind gusts around the east wing and I continue reading my book safe and sound. The water drops make patterns like the lids on large tins of Libbys Peaches!

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    1. Wind can be so destructive, however solid your house is - at times I feared for our roof. Luckily all was well in the morning.

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  7. I love the imagery. This was my dog walk today :) There is something incredibly soothing about coming home, making a cup of hot tea and listening to the winds roaring down the chimney. Thanks for linking up. Have a great weekend!

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    1. I do so agree - it has been so rough these last few days that is is lovely to come back indoors to the warmth and calm.

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  8. The north wind has certainly been blowing here too Elaine but the jury is out as to whether we will have snow. I really enjoyed your words and images.

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    1. We did have snow last night not much but enough to say that winter is on its way. Glad you enjoyed this post Anna - thank you.

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  9. Beautiful pictures, showing the wind and rain!
    On a different subject - I bought that book you quoted from in your last post, "A Year of Healing and Growing" by Barney Bardsley; it's a lovely, lovely book (a diary of how she coped during the year after her husband's death.) I am so enjoying it; thank you for the details.

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    1. Thanks Rosie - so glad you are enjoying the book - I have read it many times and always manage to get something from it.

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  10. A treat in words and pictures.

    Ms Soup

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  11. Dear Elaine, wonderful poem and exquisite photos/video. Thank you! I am very curious: is the text by you? It is a perfect November-image.

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    1. Dear Britta
      Thank your kind words. Yes I did write the text - I thought I would try something different for a change. Glad you liked it.

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    2. It is really good Elaine - it will be a treat for us if you go on!

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    3. Thanks Britta - I appreciate your comment - that is good for me to know.

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  12. A truly beautiful post Elaine.

    The wind was very strong last night..........it did not keep me awake. The Grandchildren are here, I am always tired when I go to bed. I love that feeling...........

    It has stopped snowing and the sun is shining.......can't remember the last time I saw the sun.
    Better not blink I might just miss it:)

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    1. Dear Cheryl - how kind of you to say - thank you. I rarely feel tired when I go to bed it takes me ages to get to sleep - of course I don't have the benefit of grandchildren to tire me out! It has been brighter today but with a really cold window I didn't longer long out of doors just threw a few more logs on the fire.

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    2. Sorry about the last sentence it should read with a really cold wind I didn't stay out long out of doors.

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  13. What a beautiful post. Almost magical. You inspire me.

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    1. Thank you Carin kind of you - thanks for visiting.

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  14. Oh, how did you do t.hat? Clever you! Lovely

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  15. What a beautiful post you have composed from a dark and dreary subject. Thank you!

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  16. What a FABULOUS post!!! How you have captured the storms we've had....you almost have me wishing for another one! I loved that first pic and your poem....I shall now ponder on this post in front of the logburner with a large glass of wine!!!xxx

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    1. Thanks Dina. I almost deleted it as I didn't think anyone would comment on it - glad I didn't now. Enjoy your wine and your log burner - you certainly need it on a day like today - brrr.

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    2. What a crazy lady you are!!! So glad you didn't delete!!! xxx

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    3. Lack of confidence in myself I'm afraid :)

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  17. Of course, my first question is, "How in the world did you create those fabulous images?" The poem is a perfect description of a storm. The aftermath is always so stunningly quiet.

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    1. If I told you I'd have to kill you Barb - lol. Glad you enjoyed it - it was a storm you certainly couldn't ignore. And yes, it does seem very peaceful once it has passed.

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  18. Oh, we had those wild winds here this week too! Your description is perfect!

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    1. Thank you Aisling. The winds do sound pretty scary when you are in bed trying to sleep - luckily there was no damage come morning.

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  19. Beautiful post with wonderful words and images, I've really enjoyed it, thank you:)

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  20. Lovely post again Elaine.
    The North wind is certainly blowing ... and my thicker socks, gloves and scarf are out of the drawer!
    It's certainly Brrr

    Keep warm keep well.

    All the best Jan

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    1. Thanks Jan. Yes, I too donned boots scarf and gloves for my walk today - it was certainly a lot colder than it has been of late.

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  21. I absolutely love this Elaine - and how you've captured that clever, wild North wind. Makes me almost want to give up my gentle Southern Spring for a bit of Northern wild and woolly : ) x

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    1. Thanks Antoinette - that's fine by me - a gentle Southern spring sounds perfect right now.

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  22. Fantastic words and pictures! We had the North wind blowing here at the weekend, it was strange seeing the waves going in the opposite direction out to sea! Sarah x

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    1. Thanks Sarah. I would have loved to have seen that.

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