Shawn L. Bird

COLD COMFORT

(by Shawn Bird and the 2021 En 11-A class)

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Something burns on a winter night

I smell the smoke and see the fire

Reflections on the snow are bright

The dreams to which I aspire

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I smell the smoke and see the fire

What hopes linger in the dark

The dreams to which I aspire

Rise to the sky in flickering sparks

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What hopes linger in the dark

Cradling cocoa in my hands

Rise to the sky in flickering sparks

My heart longs to dance

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Cradling cocoa in my hands

Warm steam tickling my nose

My heart longs to dance

And waken my frost-bitten toes

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Warm steam tickling my nose

The family encircles the flames

And waken my frost-bitten toes

Relaxing after winter games

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The family encircles the flames

Reflections on the snow are bright

Relaxing after winter games

Something burns on a winter night

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A pantoum is written in quatrain stanzas with lines 2 and 4 of each stanza repeating as lines 1 and 3 of the subsequent stanza until the last stanza, which circles back to the beginning, with line 2 being line 3 of the first stanza and line 4 being the first line of the poem. There are no rhythm rules so line lengths can vary. It is amazing how impactful this repetition proves to be.

If you try it, do post a link to your pantoum in the comment section!