Poems About The Annual Seasons

Spring

My eyes reprise a splendid sight
As I enjoy a morning breeze,
A damsel dancing with delight
In fields of flowers past her knees.

She spreads her trailing gown around,
Which then displays a field of green;
The blooms ascending from the ground
Enhance and crown the stunning scene.

Her scent pervades the passing breeze
That gently glides among the leaves.
The birds that fled the winter's freeze
Return to sing atop the eaves.

I've waited long to see this day,
To feel the breath of life renewed,
Immersed in scents from spring's bouquet
Of early blooms so richly hued.

And while she warmly shares her charms,
I ponder verses I could sing.
Of those who yearn for winter's arms,
While I remain in love with spring.

Image by ELG21 via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain

Winter

I saw her walk by me today,
And she was garbed in pearly white.
I paused as she began to dance
With gentle grace, to my delight.

She was so close, I felt her breath.
Her downy gown was at my feet.
What seemed like whispers in my ears
Were pleas from her to not retreat.

I had no love for winter days;
I'd shown in verse my deep disdain.
But then this moment came along;
From loathing her, I did refrain.

She held me captive in her arms
And softly kissed my naked cheek.
She then appealed with tears of ice,
No further words of hate to speak.

A sudden silence pierced my ears
As flakes of silk hung in the air.
Then myriad others joined with them,
Displaying winter's flowing hair.

I smiled and watched as she performed
Her ballet dance for me to see.
I then began to understand
Why winter fills the heart with glee.

Image by zanna-76 via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain

Massachusetts State Poetry Society
2023 Arthur (Skip) Potter Memorial Contest - 2nd Place

Published at The Society of Classical Poets

August

A moment spawns forever views
Of days eternally like this.
I see sardonyx and chartreuse
Wherever you have sown a kiss
To chase away my days of blues.

I am inspired to pen your days
Of sultry heat and starry nights.
But though a field of words I graze,
Not one I find can reach your heights,
Nor blaze your chaise or light your fraise.

What words can I recite to you?
For you, O August, are ablaze
Because the sun has loved you too.
And so I hold no sway or ways
For words through poesy to coo.

chaise = horse-drawn carriage

fraise = decorative ruff worn at the neck

Image by Jill Wellington via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quintain - Sicilian

Winter's Last Goodbye

In fields of hay below a darkened sky,
Where scarecrows stand to guard the frigid night,
A sobbing winter blares a last goodbye.

As spring prepares to walk where lilies lie,
The storm has placed a coat of pearly white
In fields of hay below a darkened sky.

The ground abounds with snow that rises high,
And gales instill in hearts an awful fright.
A sobbing winter blares a last goodbye.

As dawn arrives, the storm is but a sigh,
A mournful wail that clings to morning light
In fields of hay below a darkened sky.

The trailing flakes of snow begin to die,
And children rush to view the snowy sight.
A sobbing winter blares a last goodbye.

The birds of early spring return to fly
And share their rhythmic songs that rise in flight.
In fields of hay below a darkened sky,
A sobbing winter blares a last goodbye.

Image by mollyroselee via Pixabay

Poetic form: Villanelle

End of Summer

When summer leaves and takes her warming shawl,
The birds toward the south begin to fly.
The leaves of wizened trees begin to dye
As shorter days announce the hues of fall.

In town, a weary man lies down to rest;
His lawn, pristine and green, begins to sleep.
An autumn chill at night begins to creep,
A sign that winter calls to start her quest.

Across the street, a lawn remained unkept
And harbored various weeds in carpet grass.
The drizzly morning saw a mower pass
As one misty-eyed dandelion wept.

Image by MariaM31 via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain - Enclosed Rhyme

Autumn's Hand

I reach across for autumn's hand
When leaves begin to ride the air,
To walk amid the changing land.

Though I yet have some days unplanned,
And winter waits to bring her glare,
I reach across for autumn's hand.

I pine for spring and summer sand,
But autumn calls, so I prepare
To walk amid the changing land.

The fallen leaves with red are tanned,
So till I meet with winter's stare,
I reach across for autumn's hand.

The frigid winds will come as planned
And trees will call with branches bare
To walk amid the changing land.

When summer yields to fall's demand
And towns prepare a Sunday fair,
I reach across for autumn's hand
To walk amid the changing land.

Image by ddzphoto via Pixabay

Poetic form: Villanelle

Autumn's Return

As summer winds its days of jade,
Announcing autumn will return,
The leafy trees prepare to blush
In tints of red that all discern.

When autumn paints the waiting trees,
The verdant grass begins to sleep.
The birds migrate to southern lands,
And farmers see it's time to reap.

The shorter autumn days renew
An earthy smell that fills the air
As leaves release their musky scent,
A fragrance cherished everywhere.

As parents watch their children play,
They muse about their youthful days—
The days of fall with mounds of leaves,
Where laughter rose like songs of praise.

Image by Valiphotos via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain

Winter's Hold

Her entry seems enchanting every year,
Arrayed in white to please the viewer's eyes,
But blemishes replace her thin veneer,
Revealing days of gray in her disguise.
She wears her stunning gown around the town
And drapes the trees, compelling them to sway.
The leaves that dress the trees in red and brown
Will land on winter's hands, then soar away.
Her flowing hair descends on barren trees,
Whose naked branches start to sag and bow.
But early spring can break her swaddling freeze,
Removing winter's grip from every bough.
Her downy coat can seem like paradise,
But spring removes the spell of frost and ice.

Image by MabelAmber via Pixabay

Poetic form: Sonnet

November's Early Kiss

A symphony of brilliant red
October weaves like silken thread.
Those budding weeks of blushing trees
And yellow-orange leaves can ease
An aging mind to reminisce
About the years of youthful bliss.

But once October's leaves have spread,
November can be seen ahead.
It brings along the shorter days
Of downy snow and morning haze,
Which pleases all who long for this—
To feel November's early kiss.

Image by Heibe via Pixabay

Poetic form: Couplet

An Autumn Path

The path he takes this early day
Is dressed in dew and straws of hay.
The morning mist obscures his view;
The barn, though near, seems far away.

The sleepy sun begins to rise,
And light prepares to climb the skies.
He sees the path much clearer now,
As life awakened fills his eyes.

He senses changes autumn brings,
A mix of scents from lovely things.
The air, perfumed by turning leaves,
Is fragrance loved by serfs and kings.

Above he hears migrating birds,
Their calls of joy, like soothing words.
They tell of lands where warmth awaits;
A transient home for flocks and herds.

The cows have stirred and move about,
And roosters crow as piglets rout.
A dog begins to run to him,
His faithful friend and eager scout.

So much to do while autumn stays,
Before the freeze of winter’s gaze.
And yet, for now, he walks the path,
And sings a psalm of morning praise.

Image by stux via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain - Rubaiyat

Autumnal Days

Autumn's touch is seen when trees
Begin to blush at summer's end,
A signal sensed with every breeze,
When soothing, cooling nights portend
Her new return as leaves descend.

She stalls the days of winter's freeze,
When trees, their branches all ablaze,
Array their leaves with artful ease.
It is the gown that she displays
To all who love autumnal days.

Cerise and crimson leaves can please
The pleading eyes of all who yearn,
Who keep awake for days like these,
To muse, to love, a time to learn.
But short, too short, is her return.

Image by Free-Photos via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quintain - English

Winter's Breath

The sudden chill of winter's sigh
Caresses me when autumn flees.
My meager warmth she tries to pry
While planting kisses, cold and dry;
With icy breath, she starts to tease.

I'm bundled as I walk along,
And yet I feel her hands on me.
She whispers in my ears a song;
Her wintry grip on me is strong.
She plants a frosty kiss with glee.

But soon I'll see the face of one
Who warms my soul with her embrace.
As frigid winter ends her run,
Her icy tears will be undone
When spring begins to kiss my face.

Image by TanteTati via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quintain

Seasons

O wondrous fall of saffron gowns
And crimson shades without compare,
You've dressed the leaves in reddish browns,
The tears you'll shed at winter's glare.

Your works of art will turn to blight
When you depart at her command.
Her wintry gown of downy white
Will shroud the trees across the land.

But after that, she'll have to cede
When flowers rise on warmer days,
Since winter's dress cannot impede
The seeds that raise their arms in praise.

Beyond the days of early spring,
When blossoms grace the verdant land,
The days of summer wait to bring
A dress of jade and ocean sand.

Image by Noupload via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain

Spring's Promise

Her softest kiss she offered me today
When warming rays embraced my longing heart,
But winter's frigid hands pulled us apart
When falling snow concealed the day in gray.
I begged for spring to share her calming glow
As winter spread her snowy gown on me,
But she just sauntered off amid the spree
And took her warmth to yield to frosty snow.

But as she left, I felt a parting kiss,
Which seemed to me to be her pledge of ease:
"Fear not my frigid sister's cold embrace,
For days she has before I take my place."
And so, as winter rides a gelid breeze,
I wait to feel the touch of warmth I miss.

Image by ArtTower via Pixabay

Poetic form: Sonnet - Petrarchan

When Spring Arrives

The songs of birds are heard outside
When spring arrives—a sprightly bride!
The budding flowers rise with pride,
Their brilliant colors amplified.

The rain revives the countryside,
Where verdant grass is spreading wide.
The rabbits, now with food supplied,
Step out with youngsters unified.

The insects crawl where they reside,
All types and shapes, divinely dyed.
The squirrels play, then run to ride
The arms the leafy trees provide.

I stroll as spring serves as a guide
To nature's beauty, magnified.
Tonight I'll dream, quite satisfied,
That early spring revived what died.

Image by Larisa-K via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain - Monorhyme

Winter's Call

O, can you hear her? Yonder autumn days?
A siren's voice, as silent steps she takes?
Her nuanced hymn creates a frosty haze
And warns the trees to brace for pearly flakes.
She pairs her feigned allure with lovely sights,
Then softly laughs while stealing warmth from me.
I fear her touch, for long will be the nights.
She'll hold my face till spring can set me free.
And yet, her comely gown I yearn to see
As she performs her waltzes in the day.
So when she starts to dance amid the spree,
My heart applauds her dazzling white ballet.
Through autumn's haze, her call I faintly hear.
She pleads with me, her cold arms not to fear.

Image by DreamyArt via Pixabay

Poetic form: Sonnet

The Last Red Tear

One leaf remains atop this tree—
A lonesome guard, it seems to be.
I sense the frigid days ahead,
The winds of winter stirring free.

The fallen leaves that strew the ground
Begin to stir about and 'round.
But this one leaf is holding on,
Despite a freeze that can't be bound.

As seen with those before this guard,
Whose reddish face the wind has scarred,
Its strength to hold will surely fail,
And winter's door will be unbarred.

When winter's breath tomorrow nears
And frosty air with snow appears,
The leaf will yield to wintry winds,
The last of autumn's crimson tears.

Image by Kathas_Fotos via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain - Rubaiyat

Autumn's Reminder

I take a walk when dawn has tossed her veil,
Then head toward a long and winding trail.
The air is cold, a sign of autumn's end,
And soon the snow of winter will descend.

The brilliant colors left among the trees,
Composed of leaves that flutter in the breeze,
Now drop as winter's breath begins to blow,
Then glide to meet the ground to wait for snow.

The fading haze reveals the striking art
Of colors left by fall to warm the heart.
But like the morning mist of early dawn,
This stunning beauty, too, will soon be gone.

The scene, serene and laced with quietude,
Relieves the many cares I have accrued.
It is a short reprieve this day of fall,
And soon I'll hear the wail of winter's call.

But when I'm past the entrance to the park,
Where colors range from dismal gray to dark,
I see a golden leaf beside a tree,
Reminding me how lovely fall can be.

Image by jplenio via Pixabay

Poetic form: Heroic Couplets

Autumn Tears

The changing scene at summer's end
Invites the days of early fall.
The trees begin their yearly blend
Of colors drawn on autumn's shawl.

The countryside displays a spread
Of golden leaves adorned with brown,
Unveiling scenes of crimson red
That drape the length of autumn's gown.

But when it's time to say goodbye
And winter makes the branches bend,
The trees allow their leaves to fly—
The final tears at autumn's end.

Image by jplenio via Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain

Walking On A Rainbow

While walking by the swaying trees,

I note the dance of rustling leaves.

They fall and dress the verdant ground,

Where rainbow colors now abound.

My steps alight on autumn's gown

Of yellow, gold, and orange-brown.

The fallen leaves, with hues of red,

Are crimson tears that fall has shed.

I then begin to think of you

And wish that we had shared the view.

You would enjoy this morning's walk

Atop the rainbow while we talk.

Image by Valiphotos via Pixabay

Poetic form: Couplet

And Heaven Cried

Fertile fields, once full of pride,
Die of thirst; the lands have dried.
Bare, undressed, no verdant grass;
Clouds of rain above them pass.

Others come from far away;
Silent prayers, the valleys send.
Bursts of tears were shed today;
Heaven cried, the land to mend.

Image courtesy of Pexel

Poetic form: Quatrain - Trochee

A Summer Day

Her white summer dress sways with the gentle breeze
As she soaks up the warmth of the rising sun.
The wind plays with the leaves of towering trees,
Where coupling birds have built complex nests as one.

Bright, blooming flowers in scented garments glow
And perfume the air as hummingbirds fly low.
Couples spread their blankets on the grassy field,
Where poems of endless love will be revealed.

Image by JillWellington from Pixabay

Poetic form: Rispetto

Lazy Summer Days

The seagulls ride the evening breeze
Above the swells of surging seas.
I'm standing at the ocean's edge,
Where water roars below my knees.

A wave arrives, then gently slows,
And sand cascades between my toes.
Euphoria cues my lips to smile;
I breathe the ocean's briny rose.

I love these lazy summer days
Of picnics, parks, and warming rays;
Of swimming, walks, and morning runs;
Of holding hands with hearts ablaze;

Of children playing with their dogs;
Of turtles basking, stretched on logs;
Of mothers baking cakes and pies;
Of ponds that echo throngs of frogs.

These summer days will soon have passed,
But here, the ocean is so vast
That time has paused as I stand still
To watch the rolling waves recast.

Image by Pixabay

Poetic form: Quatrain - Rubaiyat