Help appreciated. Whatever hits you.

After Dark in Fresh Snow


Boys and girls laugh,
gloves scoop, boots grind
making a new music.


Much strumming
under a fat old moon.


Then comes the throwing
of stinging snowballs and words.


No hearts shatter.
No bones break.


What stays strong still
are the wing-beats drumming
and dotting the sky.

No "I" in this offering.  Well done.

I offer this:

Make Stanza two the first
(Maybe) drop the third line of the current first stanza
Cut "still" from the last stanza
Offer a "music" word for "dotting" or add "staff line" imagery to a stanza above.

I like it

I would opp to reverse stanzas one and two.  And also to add a musical term in the last line.  This is a "shortie" poem compared to your previous offerings and it sits well for me.  I enjoy the crunch under boot and it carries on to the snowball making... or is that just my childhood memory?  Nicely done, Pat.  Dewell

it was not easy, keeping the I out of it.  : )  I think it all comes from counseling:  pushing people to focus on their feelings and naming them.  Not blaming others and owning responsibility.  So I have had to learn to show (not tell) and hard for me to keep the I silent.   You are helping me. .  .  and I thank you.  It has been a good year to learn with you.

Pat,  I like the pic! I echo the "second stanza first" thought since the title sets up that pic. I would like to see a better word than fat to describe moon.  Maybe, hazy, lazy, even bright seems more descriptive than fat.  I agree also with dropping "still".  I note that you have used strumming and drumming which are musical terms and another musical term for the sky would be in order. I don't have any suggestions as to what would be a good sound word that would fit there, though. Wait! what about "dancing across the sky" since that is something we could associate with the music pic. You have done good with a "shortie" and no "I". Dennis  Happy New Year