Christmas, and there’s
No snow.
Rain runnels and
Banshees howl about the house.
Trees lurch, screaming,
Torrents teeming,
Roads dammed
Across the land.
Close to New Year, and there’s
No snow. No icicles.
Nationwide: the floods.
And on we go to
See the wraith of
Seasons gone,
The phantom here,
The ghost of those to come.
New Year, and there’s
No snow. No icicles. No frost.
Savage spectre of what is lost.
Seasons change.
Extremes occur:
Spring’s like summer
Used to be. Summer’s short.
Autumn comes early.
And so it goes from year to year
The seasons change, become austere.
Those who live with constant jeers
Say this: until we do something,
Until we care,
It’s our world, our earth,
Whose fate
We share.
Polly Robinson © 2012
I am posting this for Claudia’s Change & Turns at dVerse Poets
29/12/2012 at 08:46
so true….it’s a crazy weather… right now i look out the window..sunshine…blue sky…feels more like spring than winter…unfortunately my magnolia thinks this as well and already wants to starts blossoming…ugh…not good…
29/12/2012 at 12:16
Oh, feeling for the magnolia … the slightest hint of frost and those beautiful flowers are done for … everything seems confused by the seasons just now …
Thanks for commenting, Claudia
29/12/2012 at 14:59
Yes, I think it’s pretty hard to argue against global warming when one looks at the trends. That being said, you are welcome to have some of my Ohioan snow, Polly.
29/12/2012 at 15:00
Ah, so sad, Carrie … tragic, in fact … but I believe it would melt before it made it to me
Oh! Wait a mo’! ~ brainwave ~ a refrigerated truck
Yeah 
29/12/2012 at 15:03
Yes, I’ll get right on that…
29/12/2012 at 15:42
Quite true, although right now I have loads of snow and more coming down, it came late again this year, and who knows if we will get enough of it to do any good.
29/12/2012 at 15:44
The seasons are all to pot just now …
29/12/2012 at 19:20
When I was a kid in the 70′s and 80′s, we had snow on the ground constantly from early November until the end of February. Six inches of snow was nothing unusual and we’d get at least one good storm of up to two or three feet of snow each winter. But for at least the last ten years (that I’ve actually noticed it), we rarely get any snow before the last week of December that doesn’t simply melt off in a matter of hours.
30/12/2012 at 00:31
I think this is the thing, David, we’ve all noticed it …
30/12/2012 at 16:59
the weather changes are def messing with the seasons…some flowers already popping out, then the frigid wind rips them to shreds….we did get a little snow….i love the snow, i want snow!!!!! but i think we will continue to see weird weather changes, sadly…when will we learn…
30/12/2012 at 17:06
I love snow too, Brian … but we’ve had none yet …
On the other hand, of course, is the slush that follows (yeuk!)
30/12/2012 at 18:39
You are right about the weather changes…but right now, right here, we DO have typical winter weather. Snow on the ground and oh so cold! But last summer was our driest summer on record. It seems lately that things everywhere are more unpredictable. I enjoyed your poem.
30/12/2012 at 18:50
Many are saying the same thing … yet acknowledge, as you do, that all is unpredictable. All I have are questions, Mary.
30/12/2012 at 20:35
haunting and oh so true. this will resonate for a good long while. wonderful work.
30/12/2012 at 20:45
Thank you, Miriam ~ it’s sad that it’s true ~ the ecologists and environmentalists have been warning us for many years.
30/12/2012 at 22:32
So true, none of us are immune to these changes… the world as a whole has to act. It’s a scary future waiting for us if all this comes to pass. A terrific poem Polly!
30/12/2012 at 22:40
Thank you, Dianne, for your thoughts. Glad you enjoyed the poem.
30/12/2012 at 22:37
I love this, Polly…such passion in your words. Actually, I’m remembering very warm winters when I was a child where I wore sleeveless dresses on Christmas…maybe global warming started way back then. And that was a looong time ago!
30/12/2012 at 22:53
Good to see you enjoyed the poem, Gayle. Thank you for your thoughts, I can recall warm winters too, but lots more cold ones
30/12/2012 at 23:21
at least your blog it snowing… will try to sent some from Wisconsin… we have too much
30/12/2012 at 23:29
Your generosity is overwhelming
30/12/2012 at 23:47
Good take on the prompt. We did have snow that started on Christmas and have had a bit every day since. Loving it.
30/12/2012 at 23:55
Aw … still none here, Victoria. Make a snowball for me
31/12/2012 at 08:37
A strong message in this, Polly, interwoven with words which captures the natural world as it changes shape. Perhaps with a hint of sorrow?
‘Savage spectre of what is lost’ – loved that combination!
31/12/2012 at 09:14
I got into the ghostly with this one, Andy and think those words give the tone, perhaps.
01/01/2013 at 09:25
Polly- so sorry im late reading this & happy new year!…..really like how you used our current weather situation in the uk as a metaphor for change. The weather has changed, we seem to have more floods, possibly global warming? and if it was would we be prepared personally to change and do anything about it?….and to link this to the wider world is a great sentiment…its our world, we can change it if we want to. Really enjoyed seeing and feeling your local environment seeping into your writing, and how you’ve blown it up into a much bigger concept
01/01/2013 at 09:38
Happy New Year to you too, Stu ~ hope you’ve enjoyed the hols.
Good to see you enjoyed ‘No Snow’ ~ it seemed to grow out of many ideas, spooks, Dickens, environmental concerns ~ thank you so much for commenting.
03/01/2013 at 03:24
Climate change, you document this difficult to accept reality with perfect words…
03/01/2013 at 06:35
Thank you for your lovely words, Lindy. I think you’re right, people do find climate change a ‘difficult to accept reality’.