Overnight
Yesterday trees stood leafless
as the east wind whipped the last
of autumn’s gold Dawn gives way
catches us by surprise sun’s
winter-stare highlights old hoar
trailing white hair beard along hedgerows,
rimming leaf’s edge. A winter
covering to conserve earth’s strength
The breath of morning mist wraps
around sticky webs, cradles of silver magic
disguises their strength. Close by,
on a single thread, the spider waits,
taut for the tremor of its lifeline.
.
Val Pargeter is a member of the Tonbridge-based Stanza group, Roundel, and is published in their anthologies. A poem of hers in Orbis was voted joint-favourite by readers. In collaboration with four artists, her poetry has been exhibited in Tunbridge Wells and Sevenoaks Art galleries, and she has work in two Town Poetry Trails. She reads at music and poetry events, as well as open mic evenings.
Abegail Morley 
Lovely, atmosphere poem – one that causes the reader hold their breath waiting for morning. Favourite lines are ‘trailing/white hair/beard/along hedgerows ‘.And last line ‘the spider waits/taut/for the tremor of its/lifeline’. I could almost smell that morning and feel the magic of spiders’ webs. Thanks for this.
Lovely evocative poem, thanks
Absolutely lovely poem
So descriptive and evocative.
I think this is a lovely poem, very visual, atmospheric, magical … I have been wanting to find a few good poems to read to a group on the evening of the Winter Solstice: I hope I may read this one? It won’t be printed out, and I shall of course credit it. Thanks to Val for writing it, and to Abigail for including it in the Poetry Shed.