Walking the Dog on a Frosty Morning

Gold cherry

By Ed Crane

Fri, 14 Mar 2025
  • 353 reads
11 comments
 

The morning sun arrives under the radar.

A hard taskmaster heartlessly pinpointing 

every single speck of dust in the house.

Outside the light even harder sharpened

by pure white reflected from frost crystals.

 

We join the invisible wildlife, our shadows

dark and monstrous elongated in slanting 

light. The air still as if frozen as the frost

granules beneath allows the river to merge

into a giant antique mirror turning the world 

 

upside down in its perfect repeated colours.

A lone cyclist ghosts past us until his image

is reflected as he rounds a bend: a speeding

wraith silhouetted against the steel blue sky.

A cormorant silently surfaces breaking glass

 

sending lonely ripples out to investigate how 

long they can survive until they’re reabsorbed

into the calm. We have come to the end of

our leg, now time to turn for home and feed

as air warming in the sun stirs gentle waves.

Certificate PG
Poem
Nature
Autobiography

Comments

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I haven't had time to look for a picture to go with it yet.

 

Submitted by Rhiannonw on

thank you for taking me there! Rhiannon

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

I found a picture of the river near me but it was taken in autumn, but it show how reflective it can be :)

 

Submitted by celticman on

 a nice wee turn in words and outside. 

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

 

 

Submitted by onemorething on

Wonderful. This is our Pick of the Day. Do share on social media too.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Thank you very much! 

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

I feel I am getting to know your river through your posts :0) I really liked

our shadows

dark and monstrous elongated in slanting

light.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Living near a river was a new experience when I came here (I grew up a few miles from the Thames but it kind of doesn't count since it was very polluted back then)

I find it relaxing walking the dog on the tow path or the unmade track on my left. In the mornings when it's quiet you see a lot of wildlife. There are beavers further up the river, but I haven't seen them; Not everyone is happy about them being there as they tunnel into the bank, but they are protected fortunately. They have a young family I was told.

In a few weeks the storks (ooievaars in dutch) should be arriving soon. There is a nest site put up for them. Quite a sight to see them banking in like aircraft when the approach the nest.

They might be the subject of a poem if I see them arriving.

 

Submitted by Di_Hard on

Looking forward to the stork Poem :0) With Photos please! I hope you get to see the Beavers, too. There are otters here but I have not seen them.

 

Submitted by Ed Crane on

Very few otters in Belgium at the mo about ten pairs I think all in the Antwerp region. A very detail study of the water system was done checking for pcb and mercury .... falling but still high so they will struggle to build numbers. There is rumour otters are in the Durme but it's not proven. Strange thing is in the south where it is more rural and the river generally clean there are no otters. Maybe they prefer to stay in France :).

You are fortunate to have them.