Tag: Winter

Creep and Cold | Haiku

Peat smoke from a small village hanging low across a Peak District valley in the dusk. The houses are low, stone buildings. A cold river winds its way through the valley. There is a quaint, country feel to the image.

The nights are fair drawing in now – a couple of appropriately themed haiku

Dawn just breaking across a dark winter sky, There are still stars in the sky but they are slowly being overtaken by the dawn.

Creep

Sly light creeping slow,

struggling against steadfast stars –

the damp blue of dawn.

Peat smoke from a small village hanging low across a Peak District valley in the dusk. The houses are low, stone buildings. A cold river winds its way through the valley. There is a quaint, country feel to the image.

Cold

Peat smoke ribboning

across Peak District valleys,

above cold rivers.

Thanks for reading folks. Recent short stories include ‘The Kinmount Straight‘ and ‘The Clacks‘.

Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, Idle Ink, The Wild Word, Down in the Dirt, and Shooter magazine. He has a Professional Doctorate in Education. Matthew blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com.

Cling and Kick | Haiku

The first chill fingers of winter have crept round the door in Scotland this week. Two haiku to match…

Frost on the inside of a windowpane.

Cling

Intruder frost has crept

Inside, clinging latticed to

Frigid windowpanes.

Read more: Cling and Kick | Haiku
Empty wire birdfeeder

Kick

Windless swaying of

Just-left feeders, kicked into

Shy parabolas.

Thanks for reading, folks. My recent short stories include ‘Sunset Hours‘ and ‘November Cold‘.

Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, Idle Ink, The Wild Word, and Shooter magazine. He has a Professional Doctorate in Education. Matthew blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com.

Deep and Doused | Haiku

We’re into the depths of winter with some haiku this Sunday morning…

A bare tree bough set against a grey sky

Deep

A new year tundra.

Tree, roots locked and wind-shivered.

Life sits deep within.

An extinguished campfire

Doused

Flame-gnawed tree limbs and

Cinders nudged in night breezes.

Night-doused and dawn-brushed.

*Thanks for reading, folks. Images courtesy of Circe Denyer and Daniel Smith. My recent short stories include ‘The Young Man from Number Twenty-Seven‘ and ‘Plausible Deniability‘.

Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, Idle Ink, The Wild Word, and Shooter magazine. He is a doctoral student at the University of Dundee, a lucky husband, and a proud father. He blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com.

Spidered and Still | Haiku

We’re ice-bound in Scotland at the moment – some appropriate haikus as follows…

Frost patterns on glass

Spidered

Spidered creep across

Night-chilled glass, untouched by the

Hill-hidden sunlight.

Red bird on a feeder in winter

Still

Frozen and fat balls and

Frost-fingered nyger, hanging

Still, in the chill air.

*Thanks for reading, folks. Images courtesy of Marco Verch and Chiot’s Run. My recent short stories include ‘Night Out‘ and ‘Plausible Deniability‘.

Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, Idle Ink, The Wild Word, and Shooter magazine. He is a doctoral student at the University of Dundee, a lucky husband, and a proud father. He blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com.

Steadfast and Slate | Haiku

Happy New Year folks,

A couple of bracing haiku for early January…

A dry stone wall

Steadfast

Wind-worn coping stones,

Stacked batters, wedged pinnings and

Steadfast throughstones. Still.

Long-stemmed grass, covered with ice

Slate

Crisp, frosted fronds,

Pure amidst the rutted tracks,

Beneath the slate skies.

*Thanks for reading, folks. Images courtesy of Michael Manning and Creativity103.com. My recent short stories include ‘Night Out‘ and ‘PLANET 4662/1183J/983!/11C‘.

Matthew Richardson is a writer of short stories. His work has featured in Gold Dust magazine, Literally Stories, Close to the Bone, McStorytellers, Penny Shorts, Soft Cartel, Whatever Keeps the Lights On, Flashback Fiction, Cafelit, Best MicroFiction 2021, Writer’s Egg, Idle Ink, The Wild Word, and Shooter magazine. He is a doctoral student at the University of Dundee, a lucky husband, and a proud father. He blogs at www.matthewjrichardson.com.