A lot of us have a love-hate relationship with Winter. We anticipate cozy nights by the fire with a good book, sipping comforting delicious winter warmers, snuggled into wooly socks and heated blankets, whilst awaiting the first settled snow on the ground. Early nights seem inviting. Eventually, however, the cold winter nights become dark and …
(Un)Wanted Guest/Winter to Spring By D. A. Bunker
November
Shorter days and longer nights have truly settled in.
I welcome these days,
Like a friend, visiting for the holidays.
Hello you, I say,
I give you a warm hug, stay as long as you want, I add.
We shall stay warm by the crackling fire,
our dog has already re-claimed his favourite spot by the woodburner stove.
Do mind that you don’t sit on our cat?
That’s her favourite spot on the couch.
She’ll be there all winter.
And purr you to sleep.
We’ll catch-up with stories, as it gets darker outside.
I’ll make you warm hot chocolate,
And even lend you my electric blanket if you’re feeling the chill.
I shall switch on all the lamps in the corners,
Perhaps even light some candles with that lovely cinnamon smell.
And we can each retire after supper,
on our arm chairs with a lovely book,
here’s one from my knee high pile of books-to-read for the winter.
Piano Lessons by Ian McEwan.
That is a long lovely read, it can accompany you althrough the cold days.
It’s a long tale about a boy’s coming-of-age,
of love and loss, and most importantly life!
Yes, do read it. I loved it.
If you prefer short stories,
Old Babes in the Wood by Margaret Atwood, might be a good fit for you.
The stories are all connected. It’s a love story.
Also a story about loss and aging. You’ll finish this in no time.
Or if you’re like me.
Who just wants to get lost in a book (or books),
To while away the time,
hoping that by the time you reach the last page,
It will be nearly spring time!
Re-reading classics like Mrs. Dalloway,
or the entire trilogy of the Lord of the Rings
is the way to do it.
February
Oh hello you again, I say.
Still camped out on my coach.
Why are you still here?
Haven’t you out-stayed your welcome?
I say all this in my head of course,
not wanting to be rude.
I’m thinking of all the hot chocolate I’ve made for you,
all the delicious-healthy soup I’ve made from scratch.
I fed you all these lovely winter-warmers,
isn’t it about time you leave?
I glance wistfully at my thinning pile of books,
hardly a pile now, you’ve read them all!
How greedy you are.
The days are still short,
I sigh and look out the window
And await longingly for spring,
for the flowers to bloom,
for the days to be longer and warmer.
I make a mental note to put the bell back on our dog’s collar,
to warn the skittish rabbits of his coming.
When he catches them he swallows them whole.
I’m sorry, did I shock you?
I look at you from the corner of my eye
and dare I ask,
so,
when are you leaving?
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Odessa
D. A. Bunker
D. A. Bunker has worked in the media and wrote educational scripts for children’s television for over fifteen years. She is currently a freelance writer living in a sixteenth century old farmhouse near the coast in Cornwall, UK with her husband, daughter, dog, cat and countless books. Her biggest fear is running out of space for their ever-growing collection of books.
