Hoar frost in Anchorage via Reddit
There’s nothing bleak about midwinter in Alaska
Nothing bare denuded or exposed
Nothing unsheltered unprotected or unshielded
Every piercing raw stinging second of it
Glimmers and glows glistens and glitters
With a resplendency rival to that of a sun
A sun who would rather sink and simper
just below the line of the horizon,
than harm one hoar frost hair
on an Alaskan winter’s crystalline head.
This poem is my entry into Chelsea Ann Owen’s Terrible Poetry Contest. This weeks theme is The Bleak Midwinter.
Thru Violet's Lentz 
Good one!🥶
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Ugh! I’ll never win with comments like that Sadje! This is a terrible poetry contest after all. Thing is, I am terrible at writing terrible poetry.. That should count for something huh? hahaha….
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Writing terrible poetry is indeed a challenge, specially for a gifted writer like you! 👌
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Perfectly described it, in my opinion. Alaska was my first duty station when I was in the Coast Guard
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I live in Interior Alaska, Fairbanks winters and Healy summers. We just got through a week or so of -40 belows so today’s -1 should be almost balmy! Thanks for your kind comments John.
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You are very welcome😊
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Damn good, lol its just so hard to write badly I say if you write very well
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What was that picture taken at? Noon?
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Probably a good guestimation. I don’t have a camera, just my phone so I had to rely on google images for this one.
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Ah, gotcha.
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I hate to say this, for I do so admire your writing, but as an example of terrible poetry, I’m afraid this fails. I’m cold just reading it, my breath is steaming, laving my hair damp… and rapidly forming icicles. You paint the picture far too well. 🙂
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I’m sorry, but you don’t always seem to get the “terrible” part of terrible poetry 😉 lol Alaska in winter is not my top choice (NH is bad enough), but I’m sure it is beautiful.
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Yes, the terrible part does seem to evade me. I am just so enthralled with my first winter in Alaska I cannot find the maudlin in it….
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One thing I discovered is that I can be much more awful when I post directly to the comments on Chelsea’s blog instead of doing a post. I think something in my subconscious won’t allow my to put something that is truly awful up, a kind of self-preservation instinct or something 😉
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I had no idea I was reading terrible poetry until I saw your comment. The weather may be “terrible” but I’m sorry you’re poetry is excellent. 🙂💜
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Thank you Jen. I’ll just have to try harder next time….
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Oh right! I doubt you could write anything terrible Violet. You’re an excellent writer. But you can try if you want to. I’ll still read it.:)
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Better luck next time.
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Amen to all your commenters, sister. 😀
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