Poetry & Prose by Carol J Forrester
I always greet red dawns with caution.
Farmer’s daughter,
I turn over countryside sayings
like hard-boiled sweets
in my mouth.
The syrup long since sucked
from the center,
now all crunch and brittle,
the shards pricking my gums
in warning.
No amount of scoffing,
can keep my grandmother’s voice
from speaking to the dawn.
Soft, and familiar,
chanting the same words,
myth
now made fact.
Red mornings are both beautiful,
and dangerous.
We should watch
for a change in the winds.
Carol J Forrester is a writer and a history geek. Her debut collection 'It's All In The Blood' came out November 2019. She has a 2:1 BA degree in history from Bath Spa University, enjoys judo at least twice a week, and tries to attend poetry events around the Midlands when she can. Her flash fiction story ‘Glorious Silence’ was named as River Ram Press’ short story of the month for August 2014 and her short story ‘A Visit From The Fortune Teller’ has been showcased on the literary site Ink Pantry. Her poems ‘Sunsets’ and ‘Clear Out‘ were featured on Eyes Plus Words, and two of her poems were included in the DVerse Poets Pub Publication ‘Chiaroscuro’ which is available for purchase on amazon.Her poem ‘Until The Light Gets In‘ was accepted and published at The Drabble and her poem ‘Newborn’ was published by Ink Sweat & Tears. She has been lucky enough to write guest posts for sites such as Inky Tavern and Song of The Forlorn and has hosted a number of guest bloggers on her site Writing and Works. View all posts by Carol J Forrester
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I love this. Makes me nostalgic and yearning for the country side grows in me
Thank you. I’m glad you enjoyed it.
My pleasure
“Red sky at morning” also an old mariner’s rhyme.
Red sky at morning
Sailor take warning
Red sky at night
Sailor’s delight.
Great piece
Very similar to the farming one. Red sky at morning, Shepherds warning, red sky at night, shepherds delight. The just switched out the job title lol
Love it
You might like Red Sky Ar Night – The Book Of Lost Countryside Wisdom b Jane Struthers then. Lots of old sayings.
The anaology of the boiled sweet, Carol, is perfect for memories. Love this 🙂
Thank you Sue, I’m glad you liked it.
I did, very much, Carol.
😊
Beautiful, Carol. Those old myths about the color of the dawn ripple through my thoughts and memories as well. I sensed both love and nostalgia in your poem.
Thanks Diana. My Great-Grandmother was very superstitious, and despite ‘scoffing’ at a lot of what she used to say, I still don’t like to cross on the stairs, spill salt, or cross knives on a plate. These little things have a way of creeping under your skin and sticking.
Ah, so you’re a believer in magic. 😀 Me too.
In it’s various forms yes. Someone once told me that magic is just the things science hasn’t explained yet but I like to think that perhaps a little bit of wonder does exist out there somewhere. Until I actually find it, I’ll just have to write about it instead.
I think your a keeper. Poetry follows us ..it did me anyways. Long may you run.
Thank you, though may I ask, a keeper?
A keeper. A poet that will last many years to come. A young poet in early years . a person who has it within them to last over time.
Oh wow, that’s really lovely of you to say, I hope you’re right.
I like the reference to the grandmother’s words and way you have woven them into the context of the poem. Those old voices still resonate don’t they.
They really do. I think I’ve taken a lot from my grandmothers. I was lucky enough to get to know my great-grandmother well and she made a huge impression on my younger life. We tend to carry people with us as we grow I’ve found.
I too knew my grandmother. I agree, we tend to carry these old people with us.
Carl, I love your poem of ‘sayings like hard-boiled sweets… all crunch and brittle’ and warnings. I agree that ‘Red mornings are both beautiful, / and dangerous’ – and I’m keeping watch for a change in the winds.
I’m so sorry, Carol! I was typing on my Kindle and it changes words randomly – this time it was your name.
Haha, no worries. I updated my surname at work the other week and instead of Finch my email for Fitch for a fortnight. Typos are easily done.
Thank you Kim. This poem really seems to have been a hit with people, the hard-boiled sweets especially.
The simplicity and clarity of this is quite refreshing. Too much of my day is consumed railing against politicians or my disability. Your lovely words and thoughts ground me, and let me return to a more natural state for a few glorious minutes.
Thank you for your thought Glenn, I’m glad I can provide some grounding with my poems. It’s always lovely to see you here.
the “hard boiled sweets” simile really works, very tactile image, it’s the engine of the poem.
JIM
Thank you Jim.
Same proverb here, except that if the clouds are like the ones in the photo, the fine weather won’t last. Watch out for those changing winds…
Thank you Jane and I most certainly will. Hopefully they might bring something good my way this year.
🙂
A beautiful write Carol and I can hear your grandmother’s voice. We grew up with a similar saying and here in the Highlands it holds no longer true – we rarely have rain after a red dawn.
How interesting. Perhaps the changing times and environment will require a change in sayings.
Ah, granny was wise. As the saying goes “Red sky at night, sailor’s delight; red sky in morning, sailors take warning”. My farming parents, too, keyed into nature’s messages with regard the weather! I liked your write.
Thank you Beverly I’m glad you enjoyed it and it brought up memories of your own family too.
I look forward to seeing those red mornings:
Red mornings are both beautiful,
and dangerous.
That certainly can be spectacular.
This is absolutely lovely! I fall in love each and every time I read your poems. You are the next big thing ❤❤
That’s very sweet of you and I hope your right. This year the plan is to try and get some more poems published, enter competitions, and put together a collection of poems to hopefully get published next year or the one after. I’ve got twenty out of the targeted sixty so far so fingers crossed.
Carol, how wonderful this piece is! Red sky in the morning, sailors take warning… may your skies be red at night…
Thank you Rob. This poem is getting so much love it’s wonderful.
Yes, I grew up with this simple way of predicting the weather. I think it was originally for sailors rather than farmers… but then again why would it be different? Well done!
Thank you. It’s been really nice to see how well known this old saying is and indeed, why would it be any different if it works. 😀
There seems to be some truth in it as I recall!
This is wonderful ❤ Your best one yet xx
Thank Kyra. Does that mean it needs to go in the collection?
100% ^^
Well that’s puts me at twenty poems so far then. Another forty to go and I’ll have my collection.
It seems even we city people know about red mornings and nights. I repeated the same saying to my daughters many times. Great evocation. (K)
Thank you. It’s a wonderful to see so many people recognizing and connect with the saying.
I admire the way you took that old saying as your prompt and reworked it into this fine poem – the way the grandmother stands in for the “old wives” of cliched aphorisms; “warning” retained; the red skies seen afresh… You made it your own but still transmitted the same information that the saying embedded in it’s rhyming lines – the weather changes constantly; beware of certain kinds of beautiful appearance; pay attention to the big picture (the sky beneath which our small lives play out. These old sayings haunt us for a reason and they need to be reworded lest we forget. Very classy work!
Thank you very much Christine, that’s a really lovely compliment to receive.
Wow. This reminded me of my father’s saying while growing up, “Red sky at night, sailors delight. Red sky at morning, sailor’s take warning.” I have know idea where this came from.
This is a great opening line, “I always greet red dawns with caution.” I also like the way you used the homemade candy in this poem.
Reblogged this on NANMYKEL.COM and commented:
The imagery of hard boiled sweets in the mouth is poetically mouth-watering. I hope I’m re-blogging this gem.
Thank you! I’m so flattered that you liked it enough to reblog.