Thursday 15 December 2022

December 15th


 This picture and the poem below comes from one of my small Christmas books  " A Christmas Album".  A collection of poems, pictures and little stories published in 1987.


A WORD ABOUT WINTER

Now the frost is on the pane,
Rugs upon the floor again.
Now the screens are in the cellar,
Now the student cons the speller,
Lengthy summer noon is gone.
Twilight treads the heels of dawn
Round-eyed sun is now a squinter,
Tiptoe breeze a panting sprinter.
Every cloud a blizzard hinter,
Squirrel on the snow a printer,
Rain spout sprouteth icy splinter,
Willy-nilly this is winter.

Summer-swollen doorjambs settle,
Ponds and puddles turn to metal,
Skater whoops in frisky fettle,
Golf club stingeth like a nettle,
Radiator sings like kettle
Hearth is Popocatepetl.

Runneth nose and chappeth lip
Draft evadeth weather strip,
Doctor wrestles with grippe
In never-ending rivalship.
Rosebush droops in garden shoddy 
Blood is cold and thin in body,
Weary postman dreams of toddy,
Head before the hearth grows noddy.

On the hearth the embers gleam,
Glowing like a maiden's dream,
Now the apple and the oak
Paint the sky with chimney smoke,
Husband now without disgrace,
Dumps ash trays in the fireplace.

                                                          Ogden Nash 1902 - 1971



I googled to see when this was written and found it doesn't seem to be as well known as another of his poems which has often  been included in books of children's poems.

Winter Morning Poem by Ogden Nash

Winter is the king of showmen,
Turning tree stumps into snow men
And houses into birthday cakes
And spreading sugar over lakes.
Smooth and clean and frosty white,
The world looks good enough to bite.
That’s the season to be young,
Catching snowflakes on your tongue!
Snow is snowy when it’s snowing.
I’m sorry it’s slushy when it’s going.



Back Tomorrow
Sue

9 comments:

  1. Nice poems. I especially like the Winter Morning one. It reminds me of the joy of the first snow. I should save it for when February comes and there is still snow here lol

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  2. Those poems are rather different to the usual Ogden Nash that I have come across before, more "serious" than the comic verses.

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  3. The first poem is unlike any Ogden Nash work I have read. I liked the poem very much and the illustration is beautiful. Catriona

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  4. Candy is dandy by liquor is quicker. Also Ogden Nash and never fails to make me chuckle

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  5. I think I'd have advised, "Don't give up the day job!" I think he wrote the first one very tongue in cheek :)

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  6. I love Ogden Nash poems, such clever rhymes!

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  7. Very un-Ogden Nash like poem at the top 'Runneth nose and chappeth lip' ... he was obviously having an off day!!

    Even my spellcheck hates it. :-)

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  8. Winter has a beauty of its own. Preparing for the season helps greatly. Knowing that all will be well when Spring arrives carries us through the trials of Winter.

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  9. Ogden Nash has always made me smile.

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