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Samhain

Behind the turning leaves a red-breast peeks,
In light dim-lit by mists on Samhain dawn;
The earth is churned by drumming, grubbing beaks,
Before the frosts are hard and food is worn.
In orange landscapes washed in autumn rain,
Hang soggy gloves that dance on windy lines.
Soft bobbing fruits are tricks and treats that stain,
While backing clocks twist dusky songs to whines.
Devoted flames are shields for absent love,
On deathly days when shrouded walls are thin;
Illuminating darkened skies above,
Where birdsong lows; far off the mating din.
A shadowed gold; the torch of mulch-floored tracks;
Apricity is warming winter backs.

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Samhain: pronounced sow-wen, an ancient Celtic festival, most rooted in Irish mythology, that marked the end of the harvest season and the beginning of winter. The origins of Halloween can be traced back to Samhain.

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Isabella Simmonds is a British musician and piano teacher living in London. 

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12 Responses

  1. Mary Gardner

    Isabella, I enjoy this poem’s plenitude of motion and its contrast of warm colors with darkness, rain and wind.
    What do “food is worn” and “backing clocks” mean?

    Reply
    • Isabella

      Thanks so much Mary. I’m so glad you enjoyed it. The food is worn refers to how the earth and soil does to seem to get worn in winter, often I find in my garden dried up grubs or old larvae rather than wriggling and fresh, although I know the heat of summer can also make this occur. The backing clocks reference is a nod to the clocks going back here in the UK on the last Sunday of October so it is usually just before Samhain/Halloween.

      Reply
    • Gary Borck

      This poem creates a beautiful mood. It’s very well crafted. I particularly like lines 3 and 4.

      A very enjoyable read. Well written, Isabella.

      Mary, my guess is’ ‘Food is worn’, means food is finished or nearly finished, like something is ‘worn out’, it being the time of year when birds would find it hard to find worms or other means of sustenance,

      Reply
      • Isabella

        Thanks so much Gary. I’m so pleased you found it enjoyable.

  2. Margaret Coats

    Your sonnet certainly gives the impression of the beginning of winter, Isabella. A telling indicator is the birds “churning” the earth for food that would have been easy to find and pick up earlier. My question about a mysterious symbol is gloves on the clothesline. Of course they would get soggy in the rain, but why are they out, and what do they have to do with the Samhain festival? A poem of atmosphere and wonder!

    Reply
    • Isabella

      Thank you so much for reading and commenting Margaret. Yes the gloves on the line is rather obscure. I often tend to be a little obscure in my poems and I really should try to think of the reader a little more, which I think I am more now, after discovering this site and all its wonderful poets. I wrote this poem last year. But as Paul has just commented they are a symbol of winter and also in my garden I have a washing line strung between an old apple tree and a tree of heaven and last year at Samhain/ Halloween time the washing on the line seemed to be casting spooky shadows and shapes especially a pair of old gloves which were hanging there.

      Reply
  3. Paul A. Freeman

    Some excellent imagery in this poem about the onset of winter, straight from the go, with the peeking robin redbreast.

    I read the gloves as drying on the washing line in preparation of winter weather.

    Thanks for the read, Isabella.

    Reply
    • Isabella

      Thanks so much Paul for your lovely comment. Yes indeed the gloves are a reference to winter and also as I just replied to Margaret some old gloves hanging on my washing line in the garden seemed to be dancing and casting shadows in the wind, at Halloween time so it seemed a good image to try and convey in a poem.

      Reply

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