Wednesday, January 28, 2015

tending

acrid smoke seeps
from below
ancient furnace heaves
in a slow, sputtering
basement death

the tired monk
makes his rounds
double covering
dreaming novices

layers the winter robes
for starlit work
 swings
  splits
   stacks
    stokes the hearth

     savors new heat

19 comments:

  1. Season of Winter; nice write

    Have a good Wednesday; warm wishes

    much love...

    ReplyDelete
  2. Expressed very well. I like the arrangement of the last stanza.Does this particular style of writing poetry has a name? I would be glad to learn. :)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Somehow I have never thought you really are a monk but this makes me think perhaps you are. This poem took me to your warm and cozy place.

    ReplyDelete
  4. someone, a monk, a master to some perhaps, has been up late studying the teachings of Gary Snyder. A lineage past down, a transmission if you will. Great stuff Tired Monk.

    ReplyDelete
  5. very nice description of winter work

    ReplyDelete
  6. I love those tender s's...like smoke rising up and keeping the soul warm

    ReplyDelete
  7. Tending tenderly and selflessy, like a guardian and steward, like a person on God's errand. Thank you!

    ReplyDelete
  8. smiles...what heat...in just taking care of his mates...compassion carries its own warmth....

    ReplyDelete
  9. Need to double cover all those novices indeed to protect them from the all-encompassing chill!

    ReplyDelete
  10. Those novices are blessed by this tireless caretaker, and the warmth he assures. I love this one.

    ReplyDelete
  11. This has an ancient feel of darkness and winter.. I feel the smell of wet wool in your words

    ReplyDelete
  12. it's the love i feel most here... yes, there's peace in tending to what needs tending, no matter how tired - but it's that little bit extra given for the comfort of dreaming novices, that makes me feel warm all over

    ReplyDelete
  13. I see him, in his robes, making his nightly rounds, doing "starlit work". Loved this, Ollie.

    ReplyDelete
  14. reading through it was almost doing the work with you

    ReplyDelete
  15. Very visual with such simple words. Well written.

    ReplyDelete
  16. The seasons march on, bitter Winter rages, but a monk's work is never done!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for helping with the development of Olsonomics.