Chicken Spaghetti

Books, Books, Books

recent posts

about

“Flurries of Winter” and the Poetry Friday Roundup

Flurries of Winter

I stop somewhere waiting for you
And soon you swoosh by
In a spray of snow. Possibly under control,
Probably not. Bearing straight for the lift line,
Already too far away to hear, “Turn,
Use your edges!” Arms wide, skis parallel,
Unzipped jacket blowing back like 
The trailing edges of wings,
How fast that little body hurls down the mountain,
And how beautiful the last-minute swerve. 

Draft, Susan Thomsen, 2026
(The first line is the last line of Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself.")

*****

Welcome to Poetry Friday! The roundup is here. “Flurries of Winter” was inspired by a prompt from David Lehman. It’s so fun to see that others have joined me in “stopping somewhere,” too; please see Mr. Linky for the connections.

Thank you so much for visiting. Please drop a link while I heat up the hors d’oeuvres in the kitchen. Welcome to all, including newcomers!

Image from Wikimedia Commons. Snow King Mountain Winter Ski Trails. Mclaurin10. Used with a Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license.

Posted in

46 responses to ““Flurries of Winter” and the Poetry Friday Roundup”

  1. Poetry Friday: The Embroidery – A(nother) Year of Reading

    […] the ones you’re sharing in the Poetry Friday roundup, which is hosted this week by Susan at Chicken Spaghetti and as I type this I realize that I have not written to her challenge. Yikes! Since I’m […]

    Like

    Reply
  2. maryleehahn Avatar
    maryleehahn

    Susan, your “Flurries of Winter” is all kinds of perfect! I’m right there with the speaker, holding my breath for that “last-minute swerve.”

    Thanks for hosting us and for the challenge!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Thanks, Mary Lee! I am so happy to be hosting and focusing my attention on something fun and sustaining this week.

      Like

      Reply
  3. Karen Edmisten Avatar
    Karen Edmisten

    Susan, I love your poem so much! I just described it, in my post, as being full of joy and verve and love and snow. I feel that spray of snow! I feel the love! 😀

    I got an original one written this morning, thanks to your prompt. Yay! And thanks for hosting!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Aw, that’s the sweetest, Karen. So glad you wrote, too.

      Like

      Reply
  4. Poetry Friday–Beginning with a line from Walt Whitman | Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing Avatar
    Poetry Friday–Beginning with a line from Walt Whitman | Michelle Kogan Illustration, Painting, & Writing

    […] on over to talented poet and writer, Susan Thomsen’s blog, Chicken Spaghetti, where she is also hosting this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup, thanks […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. Hurrah for the numberless unknown heroes – The Opposite of Indifference Avatar
    Hurrah for the numberless unknown heroes – The Opposite of Indifference

    […] Chicken Spaghetti has the Poetry Friday round-up. Thanks, Susan! […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Michelle Kogan Art, Illustration, & Writing Avatar
    Michelle Kogan Art, Illustration, & Writing

    Beautiful poem Susan, I can feel the rush of air as you swerve by, and glad you made it safely too! Thanks for hosting and the poem prompt!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      You’re so welcome, Michelle, and thank you for the kind words. I am LOVING seeing what folks came up with and the other poems, too.

      Like

      Reply
  7. jama Avatar
    jama

    What a moment, described perfectly!! Thanks for that bit of exhilaration with swirling snow, and thanks for hosting this week.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      My pleasure, Jama!

      Like

      Reply
  8. Denise Krebs Avatar
    Denise Krebs

    Susan, I sense the pride in the narrator of this little one skiing. Beautiful poem! Thank you for the invitation to join you and for hosting today. https://mrsdkrebs.edublogs.org/2026/02/19/poetry-friday-i-stop-somewhere-waiting-for-you/

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Denise Krebs Avatar
      Denise Krebs

      Oops, sorry, I posted the link without thinking. I’ll add it to the roundup now.

      Like

      Reply
    2. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Thanks for joining in, Denise! I’m *almost* tempted to ski again, given all this snow we’ve had.

      Like

      Reply
  9. Poetry Friday: More student poetry (MY student, that is!) – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme Avatar
    Poetry Friday: More student poetry (MY student, that is!) – Radio, Rhythm & Rhyme

    […] today’s complete Poetry Friday Roundup, head on over to Chicken Spaghetti where Susan Thomsen is hosting the festivities with a draft of an original poem celebrating […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  10. Matt Forrest Esenwine Avatar
    Matt Forrest Esenwine

    “…And how beautiful the last…” LINE. Really nicely done, Susan. Thanks for sharing, and hosting!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Thanks so much, Matt! And thanks for poetizing on this Poetry Friday.

      Like

      Reply
  11. Marcie Flinchum Atkins Avatar
    Marcie Flinchum Atkins

    Beautiful poem. I love “spray of snow.” Thank you for hosting!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Thanks, Marcie, and I’m so glad you’re here at the roundup.

      Like

      Reply
  12. Mitchell Linda Avatar
    Mitchell Linda

    All I can think is wheeeeeeeeeeee!
    I’m sure the “right” way to read this poem is of the poet watching a loved one, a child…but what if the poet were watching a memory of herself? That’s a neat (or, kooky Linda M. way) to read it too.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Linda, I like that interpretation! It could definitely work that way. Thank you for being part of the P.F. festivities this week.

      Like

      Reply
  13. heidimordhorst Avatar
    heidimordhorst

    Oh my, oh my….”Unzipped jacket blowing back like
    The trailing edges of wings,” and how beautiful that last line, the swerve.
    A snapshot of adoration.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Aw, thanks for your kinds words, Heidi! My sister-in-law used to live in Vermont, so we did spend some time skiing.

      Like

      Reply
  14. lindabaie Avatar
    lindabaie

    In my past skiing world, I love what you’ve shown in your poem, Susan, that “possibly under control” made me nod vigorously. sometimes scary moments! I’ll share this with a granddaughter who skis on a team, often describing near misses. Thanks for the prompt & hosting, Susan, lots of fun, & can’t wait to read what others have written!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Linda, exactly, sometimes scary moments! I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading what others have written with WW’s line. All so different!

      Like

      Reply
  15. cvarsalona Avatar
    cvarsalona

    Susan, thank you for hosting the Poetry Friday Roundup and inviting everyone to write a poem with Walt Whitman’s last line of “Song of Myself” starting our poems. Your poem is right in line with the Winter Olympics. These lines bring back a memory of skiing, “And soon you swoosh by/In a spray of snow. Possibly under control,/Probably not.”

    Unfortunately decades ago ,I got the brunt of “Probably not” under control. A teen member of the ski safety patrol took a jump without a spotter and landed on me. He skied away without helping me and I ended up with a compound fracture of my left leg and had to stay in the hospital for 10 days.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Tabatha Avatar
      Tabatha

      That’s terrible, Carol! Did the person know what they did? I hope they apologized.

      Thanks for hosting us, Susan! I’ve never been skiing! My son went for the first time last weekend and enjoyed himself. I especially like the last two lines of your poem.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
      1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
        Susan.Thomsen

        Tabatha, I’ve retired from skiing, but I did like it for many years. It’s a great way to enjoy the winter. Thanks for being here for Poetry Friday.

        Like

    2. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Carol, that’s terrible! I imagine you had to come down the hill on a stretcher with the ski patrol. The last few times I went skiing, ten years or so ago, I sometimes felt like I was going to get hit. The mountain toward the base was just too crowded.

      Like

      Reply
  16. Mary Cornish: the best way to count | Jama's Alphabet Soup Avatar
    Mary Cornish: the best way to count | Jama's Alphabet Soup

    […] and talented Susan Thomsen is hosting the Roundup at Chicken Spaghetti. Be sure to check out the full menu of poetic goodness being served up around the blogosphere this […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  17. rosecappelli Avatar
    rosecappelli

    Thanks for the prompt this week and for hosting, Susan. Your poem took me right to that mountain with you! Love “Unzipped jacket blowing back like the trailing edges of wings,” and that perfect last line. Nicely done.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Thanks, Rose! I do kind of miss skiing, so it was fun to remember.

      Like

      Reply
  18. Mona Voelkel Avatar
    Mona Voelkel

    Susan, thank you for this great prompt and for hosting! Love your poem, especially the line about loving the swerve from disaster. You’ve captured so much here about the powerlessness and joy of motherhood in your lovely poem. Walt would be proud!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Mona, that’s it in a nutshell: the powerlessness and joy of motherhood! My kiddo was a natural skier. Me, not so much. Ha. Thanks for being here for Poetry Friday and for your kind comment!

      Like

      Reply
  19. Poetry Friday: A Dark Night | Reflections on the Teche Avatar
    Poetry Friday: A Dark Night | Reflections on the Teche

    […] Poetry Friday is hosting today by Susan at Chicken Spaghetti. […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  20. margaretsmn Avatar
    margaretsmn

    Susan, Thanks for hosting. I felt the anticipation of your poem. I haven’t watched much of the Olympics, but those downhill skiers are incredible. I look forward to seeing all the ways the PF community used Whitman’s line.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Margaret, yes, it’s a weekend of Walt so far! Those Olympians are so impressive.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  21. theapplesinmyorchard Avatar
    theapplesinmyorchard

    Thanks for hosting, Susan. I love your draft, as I was a skier and learning is fun but intimidating. I’ve been watching the Olympics too and am awed by the skill and talent. Since I wrote before I saw the challenge using Whitman’s line, I’ll have to think of a response now. (Still have vacation brain). Thanks, again.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      You’re right about skiing being fun but intimidating. I look forward to seeing what you do with WW’s line. I didn’t think I had anything at all initially, but the poem did appear after a while.

      Like

      Reply
  22. PF: For Sullivan | Nix the comfort zone

    […] Thomsen is hosting Poetry Friday today at her blog, Chicken Spaghetti. I took her up on her invitation to join her in writing in response to Walt Whitman’s line, […]

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  23. mbhmaine Avatar
    mbhmaine

    Hmmmm…my first comment wouldn’t post, so I’m trying again! I love all the movement in your poem, especially this: “Unzipped jacket blowing back like
    The trailing edges of wings,” and that “last-minute swerve” at the end. Thanks so much for hosting this week!

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Oh, heck, Molly, I’m sorry that the blog was being weird with comments. I look forward to reading your WW-led poem. There was more than one time when *I* nearly plowed into the lift line.

      Liked by 1 person

      Reply
  24. dianemdavis Avatar
    dianemdavis

    I love this poem. The first line is perfect as it can go anywhere. But here it feels as if it were made specifically for this situation. I love the images it creates, not just of someone swishing by and the feeble call out, but the visual of the skier themself, coat all open, arms wide, in perfect confidence. Made me think of my granddaughter, though she has never skied. I could still see her in this pose.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Diane, thanks for dropping by and for your comments! Over the years I’ve enjoyed watching kids ski, and they are often SO confident and fearless.

      Like

      Reply
  25. patriciafranz Avatar
    patriciafranz

    That “swoosh by/in a spray of snow” holds a ski-ful of memories for me –waiting for my kids midway down a mountain, me needing the break for burning legs while they bombed downhill. Thank you for hosting, Susan.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
    1. Susan.Thomsen Avatar
      Susan.Thomsen

      Patricia, writing the poem definitely had me wistful about my own skiing days. Lots of fun weekends on the mountain back in the day. Thanks for being here for Poetry Friday!

      Like

      Reply

Leave a reply to Susan.Thomsen Cancel reply