First
signs are
there now, as
autumn creeps in,
consigns summer to the recycle bin.
The long wait begins, fledgling frosts appear.
Winter won't wait,
impatient
to be
here.
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Poetry
FIRST SIGNS
A double tetractys. This poetic form has 10 lines which follow a strict syllable count of 1,2,3,4,10,10,4,3,2,1 such that it hopefully takes on a diamond shape.
Reviews (3)
Berniethebard
8/27/2026
Thank you very much. It has been a hot summer here in England, not as hot as where you are which I am guessing sounds like Arizons, but into the 30s centigrade regularly. I would agree with enticing and desirable.
Katharine Folkes
8/27/2026
Texas. not as dry as Arizona, but definitely hot.
Berniethebard
8/27/2026
Yep definitely hot.
Rachelle Allen
8/28/2026
The Words That Got to Me
consigns summer to the recycle bin. *oh, this is PRICELESS!!! I will think of this forevermore now!!!
I feel this same way once all the school prep is out of the way. You hit the proverbial nail on the head with this one, Bernie! Great work. PS - I also LOVE the visual you chose! xoxo PPS - I noticed that lines 4 and 5 rhymed and 6 and 10 did, as well. Is that a requirement of this form, or just your perfect touch to it?
edited 8/28/2026
Berniethebard
8/28/2026
Well this poem is essentially four lines of 10 syllables only, because of lines 1 to 4 and 7 to 10 it needs a bit more thought than that. As for the rhymes I am not sure whether they are needed or not, only that I prefer to use rhymes in my writing. Glad you liked that line. Thank you as always Rachelle.
T
Tim Margetts
8/30/2026
The Words That Got to Me
“consigns summer to the recycle bin” what a turn of phrase, turning what could have been a conventional seasonal poem into something beautifully comic.
I do love to see how fellow poets work within tightly constrained forms to get an idea to land in such a good way. I loved the way you had autumn sneaking in unobserved and then barely here before winter is knocking. Time does seem to rush by more and more the older I get, so I appreciated this thought. Nicely done, Bernie.
Berniethebard
8/30/2026
Thank you very much for your encouraging words. They are appreciated. Yeah I do like that line.
8/27/2026
The Words That Got to Me
The long wait begins, fledgling frosts appear. I love "fledgling frost", what it means and how it sounds!
That is really good. Your lovely poem creates wishful thoughts in my head. As we swelter in the low hundreds, knowing that our summer lasts sometimes into October, the combination of your magical poem with the picture is enticing and desirable!