November Night
Listen...
With faint dry sound,
Like steps of passing ghosts,
The leaves, frost-crisp'd, break from the trees
And fall.
--by Adelaide Crapsey
Adelaide Crapsey, creator of one of the cinquain forms, and a creator of this well-known favorite poem of mine, known by many of you I'm sure. You can find a collection of others by her here. And the poets.org site offers this biography. Here is my own November observation.
November Tree
Unmasked --
divine design,
thin arms surprised by sun.
Its leaves that cling wink at a breeze,
persist.
Linda Baie © All Rights Reserved
Thank you for your "November Tree" poem, Linda. A "divine design" indeed!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Charles. And thank you, too. Welcome to November PF!
DeleteEven with the oddly high for North FLA Nov. temps & swaths of green leaves, I feel
ReplyDeletethe clarity of the crispness of your poem Linda. Thanks for the A. Crapsey piece..
Mugs of cider tea to you.
Sending our 'crisp' days your way, at least in imagination, Jan. I do love that November poem! Thanks for the tea. It's colder today!
DeleteBoth of these poems are lovely, Linda. I've been so enjoying the fall poetry this year. This week I was motivated by thoughts of Halloween. Right now I'm on day 4 with no power and can't figure out how to link up on my phone--I'll do so tomorrow from work. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteOh, I know others who are still without power, Molly. I'm so sorry. You can leave your link here in the comments if you wish. People can access it from that. Best wishes to you and the neighborhood!
DeleteWhat a lovely poem, Linda! Love "divine design" and "leaves that cling wink at a breeze." :) Thanks for the Adelaide poem too (and the link to more), and a wonderful welcome to the month of gratitude.
ReplyDeleteThanks,Jama, Adelaide's poem inspired, though I do believe it's hard to match. I hope you enjoy all the others that she wrote.
DeleteI enjoy Adelaide Crapsey's poems, Linda. Thanks for sharing hers, and yours. My poem for today is about persisting, too.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Tabatha, I look forward to it!
DeleteI love Adelaide Crapsey, and have written a picture book biography of her that is out on submission. She was brilliant!
ReplyDeleteHow wonderful, Kelly. I will cross my fingers for you, and look forward to the book, am sure it will be terrific!
DeleteYAY! Keep us appraised, Kelly! Can't wait to read it!!
DeleteThank you for ushering in November with the perfect poems, Linda - Adelaide Crapsey's, and yours. ..."thin arms surprised by sun" - glorious. Thanks for hosting this week, too! XO
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Robyn, It's much fun to host in autumn. Lots of nice times are waiting!
DeleteHow lovely....to enter this month frost crip'd. Persist with gratitude. Amen and amen.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Linda, and welcome!
DeleteHi Linda. Thank you for hosting and thank you also for the November image via Adelaide Crapsey - a most distinctive name for a poet.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Alan. And yes, the name is not easily forgotten. Happy November!
DeleteI have to leave at the crack of dawn tomorrow for the library workshop and wouldn't have been able to post my links in the morning, so thanks for allowing us to post early. Happy November!
ReplyDeleteThank you. Have a great day tomorrow, Diane! I like it early, too!
DeleteTwo beautiful poems to welcome November! Love the "thin arms surprised by the sun." It's so descriptive and the alliteration makes it so nice to read aloud.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting!
Thanks, Penny, hope your month is starting beautifully!
DeleteThat poem by Adelaide Crapsey is one of my very favorites. I love frost-crisp'd. I love yours too, Linda, especially the clinging winking leaves. I have an autumn cinquain today too. Isn't it funny how that happens? Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Liz. I knew many of you would know Adelaide's poem, am glad to know you love it, too. What fun to hear you wrote a fall cinquain, too. Perhaps we think of Adelaide in the fall?
DeleteNovember Night is one of my favorite poems too, Linda! Your cinquain is a worthy companion. Love those winking leaves. ;) <— a winking leaf (heehee) Thanks for hosting this week!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome! Wonderful to hear you love Adelaide's poem, too, Michelle. And, that 'wink' is a subtle refusal, happy you like it!
DeleteLinda, you have ushered in the month of November with poetic gratitude with these beautiful words and your poem. "Find gratitude this month for all that is good about our world, including poetry, and find ways to make better that which is needed." Would you like your image poem to usher in the November section of my gallery?
ReplyDeleteThanks, Carol. Do you think the poem can fit "on" the photo. I'm not sure, but will try it tomorrow.
DeleteI love the conceit of leaves 'winking' at the breeze, Linda! Thanks for hosting. (Mine goes live shortly after midnight)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Matt, it was fun to imagine!
DeleteI do enjoy writing cinquains and these are wonderful. Thank you for sharing. My link will be live a little after midnight. Thank you for hosting!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Rebecca. It is an interesting form to work with.
DeleteThanks for hosting! I love Adelaide's poem, and think yours is just as good. I especially love that y=centering your text means that the text echoes the shape of the tree.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Sally. Adelaide's poem is an inspiration!
DeleteThank you for this beauty and for hosting today's roundup...and too, thank you for the gentle reminder to do the good we can. xx
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Amy. I do believe we need to help take care of those near and far as we are able.
DeleteYour photo and your poem captured November perfectly! The grey sky and muted sun, the arms upraised in thanksgiving, the barrenness (decorated with a few persistent hangers-on). Thanks for hosting the roundup!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Mary Lee, it was lucky to take that picture just as I wanted it.
DeleteUnmasked is a perfect word for this time of year. I like how you added one leaf that holds on. As the days shorten, I want to hold on to light.
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting today. I can't believe it's November already.
These holidays will come quickly, seems like summer was just yesterday! Thanks, Margaret.
DeleteLinda, I love that Crapsey poem. One of my favorites. And you are cinquain is just lovely, too. Those thin arms reaching towards the Sun... So small but every little reach matters. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Laura, happy to hear that you love this November poem, too!
DeleteThank you for sharing your lovely poem. And Crapsey. I do love her work.
ReplyDeleteAnd thanks too for hosting this shindig. I feel like it's been ages since I've been here. I need to come by more often.
You're welcome, Tricia, I'm glad you've taken the time to join in! Enjoy your day in the poetry shared!
DeleteWhat a lovely invitation to slow down and appreciate all that this month (and the rest of the year) offers. Thank you for sharing both poems. They are beautiful. I have always loved the sight of bare tree limbs against the sky.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kay. I too love seeing the trees' varied arrangements. Some look like they're reaching toward each other!
DeleteThank you for hosting! Happy November!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome. Hope you have a happy one, too!
DeleteJust lovely, Linda - the photograph and poem were the perfect November pairing. Thank you for hosting today!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Tara. Enjoy all the poetry today.
DeleteThank you for your delightful welcome into November, Linda! I am welcoming it in as well by the light of the full Hunter's Moon this weekend. I am in awe of your November tree. Such a great cinquain to pair it with!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Kiesha, looking forward to your welcoming too!
DeleteThanks for hosting today, Linda! I wasn't going to post, then went to the linkup and your topic of cinquain inspired me. Poetry is like that, isn't it--always calling out a response.
ReplyDeleteOh, I am glad that you were inspired, Violet. It's a challenge to write one, but also fun to see what happens, too!
DeleteLinda, I love the ghostly mentor poem and your divine design as well. I'm in with a haiku to autumn today. Thanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteIt feels like today could be an autumn collection, Brenda. There is so much beauty to inspire everyone this time of year. Thanks!
DeleteAdelaide Crapsey, I probably know of her work but am am appreciative of this re-introduction. I love your last line. And the photo is incredible.
ReplyDeleteThanks, Jone, I hope you enjoy her poems.
Delete"November Night" is a favorite of mine, too. And I also love your unmasked, winking tree!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Buffy, it delights me every time I find Adelaide's poem. Glad you love it, too!
DeleteThanks for this deep, succinct poem about fall Linda, with beautiful metaphors! And for Adelaide Crapsey poem too. And yes, lets "persist" with gratitude!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Michelle. Yes, persist with gratitude is a great way to say it!
DeleteHow beautiful! I find so much joy in fall, it's like nature knows how hard the winters can be, and wants to give us one final celebration to carry with us!
ReplyDeleteI love the way you said this, Jane! "The last hurrah!" Thanks!
DeleteWith "frost-crisp'd" leaves and "unmasked" trees, November has a beauty all its own, and both poems capture it perfectly. Thank you for sharing and hosting, Linda!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, Catherine. I'm so glad you enjoyed both poems.
DeleteYes, persist! Love your cinquain, especially the 'wink at a breeze' line, Linda. I'm happy to be sharing in an appreciation of the fall season since we moved. =)
ReplyDeleteThanks, Bridget. How wonderful that you are enjoying the wonders of fall now that you're there!
DeleteI am sooo late getting around to commenting! Retirement seems to be taking more time than work!
ReplyDeleteI love Adelaide Crapsey's "November Night", and your "November Tree" is a beautiful piece - "leaves that cling wink at a breeze" perfectly describes what they are doing as they linger up there on those branches!
I'm glad you came by, Donna. Thank You! It's always nice to hear from you!
Delete