Just This ...

Hi Tina,
this is a very good poem, but.. there is a friendly but.
In my opinion you don't need the last lines, or they must be rephrased somehow..

here are my suggestions:

For there, written in the snow
for all to see, was their inherent love of life –
their unique philosophy of just this … here … now.

or

For there, not in script, yet written in the snow,
paw-prints for all to see, their inherent love of life –
their unique philosophy of just this … here … now.

Anyway, loved your thoughts here and your poetic images.

Nic xx

Hi there, Nic. As usual, you have given me much to think about:-)and having thought about it, long and hard, have taken your advice.

Thank you for reading and for your inspired comment which was of great help.

I am pleased that I conjured up at least some of the magic that was yesterday.

Tina xxx

Great edit! :))
xxx

Loved the humour of the jarring jet! A wonderfully evoked scene.

J x

'unusually quiet;
hushed as a prayer.'

- this line really stood out for me. You create such a vivid picture, I can see the hares now ;) Another excellent poem Tina!

Magic xxx

I agree with all the good stuff, especially Jen, re: the Easy Jet LOL. Made it all the more realistic and it was so unexpected. I enjoyed this ;)

Chris X

P.S. Well done on the cherry.

Great Winter poem yet with the hope of Spring with the arrivalof the two 'Mad March Hares.' Magic story telling Tina. Wonderful imagery. Val x

Dear Tina, a lovely vignette. Your words always paint a picture that we can easily visualise.
This poem reminds me that I also witnessed a similar event: I was staying with some friends and early one morning, looking out of the bedroom window, I saw what I thought were two rabbits, but on reflection could have been hares, chasing each other across a field. I am sure there were no sexual shenanigans, they were just being playful.

Luigi xxx

Thanks for helping me see the light, as usual dear Nic.

Tina x

This was actually as it happened, Jennifer. I remember looking up momentarily and noting its distinctive red tail. As you say, incongruously beautiful:-)

T x

Glad you enjoyed it, dear Magic.

Tina xxx

Chris - thank you so much for reading and as I already said to Jennifer, the plane wasn't a prop, it really did happen this way, so why not include it in the poem, I thought:-) Glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate your telling me.

Tina x

We are so lucky round here, Val. Ever since we have lived here, some eight years or more, we have always had a family of hares nearby that live in the surrounding hedges. Last year, one of their very young leverets ran all the way along the top of our garden fence, ending up on the bonnet of my husband's car which was standing in the drive.

Monday was special enough, what with all the snow and all, but when I stood and watched them that day, it made it even more special and of course, now I have a poem to remember it by.

Thanks for reading, Val and I'm glad it meant something to you.

Tina xx

Hi there, dear Luigi. Lots of people do get confused between hares and rabbits, but they are indeed quite different - hares being way, way bigger (about the size of a small fox). They also run, (like the wind, as it happens) whereas a rabbbit hops and shows off its white bobtail.

The two that I stood and watched really were playing in the snow like children and if is so fascinating to watch them 'boxing'. February is the start of their mating season and apparently this is all part and parcel of it. Whatever, it was wonderful to watch, especially as the brown hare is becoming quite rare in this country because of changing agricultural practice.

I would have given anything to have had my camera to hand, so writing a poem about it was the next best thing. Thank you for reading, dear Luigi and I am glad you enjoyed it.

Tina xxx

Wish I had a hare-y/hair-y playfellow to roll in the snow with in a saucy way!

I shall have to make do with innocent doggy shenanigans!

J x

I think the others said it all. A brilliant piece of poetry dear Tina and I agree with the others- you have a way of painting a picture before our eyes with each word being another stroke of the paintbrish.

I always enjoy reading your poetry and I really think you should get a collection published some day.

More of this please!

Love, Nathan.

I like a few things about this poem. I thought you painted the soundscape at the beginning quite well.
I got a very good sense of how quiet and still it was.

I liked the reference to the Easy Jet, which was both humorous and quite a subtle way of commenting on the intrusion of man/modernity. I also thought that perhaps the reason why people were jetting off to Majorca was because they hadn't discovered the beauty of the British countryside.

I thought the ending worked just fine (contrary to what others have commented). It conveyed well a sense of immediacy and ephemerality and "Just this..here...now", had an urgent sound to it which I think fitted in with all the movement of the rabbits.

I think it works well, not just as a poem about nature but also about time. You portray Hares in a very innocent, anthropomorphic way, which is not how I personally would see them, however, I think that, in your poem, they make a very effective symbol of youth.

I also wondered if perhaps "Just this.. here...now",
might mimic the paw prints and the spaces between them in the snow, although I may be reading too much into that.

You are so right, seashore about 'Just this...here... now'. Exactly what I was trying to convey, and it seems I did.

Thank you so very much for taking the time to read this and commenting so thoughtfully;-)

Tina