clouds
stereotypically blanketing
December’s morning sky
no warmth, and yet
comfort
© Mary Lee Hahn, 2023
The Poetry Sisters’ December challenge was to write Elfchen, a type of cinquain that uses word count instead of syllable count, and links together the lines with these prompts:
Line one=A thought, an object, a color, a smell or the like
Line two=What does the word from the first row do?
Line three=Where or how is the word of row 1?
Line four=What do you mean?
Line five=Conclusion: What results from all this? What is the outcome?
(This information via Wikipedia.)
Elfchen are German in origin, so for bonus points, I wrote one in German, using my limited vocabulary.
brot
warm, frisch
mit Schinken und Käse
und natürlich viele Butter:
lecker
© Mary Lee Hahn, 2023
Here’s how the other Poetry Sisters met this month’s challenge:
Liz @ Liz Garton Scanlon
Tricia @ The Miss Rumphius Effect
Tanita @ {fiction, instead of lies}
Laura @ Laura Purdie Salas
Sara @ Read Write Believe
Kelly @ Kelly Ramsdell
Michelle has this week’s Poetry Friday Roundup at MoreArt4All.
A(nother) Year of Reading 
These are both lovely Mary Lee–the calming “comforting clouds–gray has that ability to calm, and lovely embroidery art! And what a tastey “warm, fresh” bread. Love the “yummy” at the end 😋 Happy New Year! 🥳
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Ihr Gedicht ist sehr klar! Baking has been one of the best parts of the holiday. I appreciate the simplicity and straightforwardness of this form, painting very clear pictures. I look forward next time to adding the purpose and meaning to each line found in the rules you used.
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Thank you for sharing again one of your embroidery pieces. I love this one and it matches your poem perfectly.
I may not know much German, but I know this poem is as delicious as that fresh bread.
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I’m blown away by you and Tanita and your German. These are lovely, Mary Lee, and I’m off to get a piece of bread and butter now….
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“no warmth, and yet/comfort” — I love these lines oh so much! The unrelenting cloud cover and rain here over break has been getting me down. Your elfchen is a good reminder to look beyond the superficial. I also appreciate your taking your German out for a spin. Wunderbar!
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That “yet” is the magic word for me in your lovely poem, Mary Lee. And you had me at lots of butter, naturally–ha! Happy New Year–and thank you for sharing that perfect embroidery to go with your elfchen.
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Although the sun is shining today, I was just bemoaning the recent dreary drizzly weather we’ve been having. But your lovely art and elfchen reminded me that there is indeed comfort in cloudy skies. Now I also want bread!
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Thanks for teaching me about elfchen. They are addictive. That may make a good calendar project for next year. I never got one made this year. I’m impressed by your German.
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It is always a joy to find the good and comfort in all the days of our lives. Your first elfchen captures this. (Have you considered writing a poem for each of your embroidery squares? What a lovely anthology that would be with the artwork and poetry to go with each. I’ll be ordering that one, if you write it!) The German one I had to translate, and my mouth watered as soon as I did!
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Mary Lee, I enjoyed these and even read the German out loud. I don’t know German, but it was fun to read. In the first poem, I was surprised (in a good way) at how you got from “stereotypically” (so often used with negative connotations) to comfort, which redefined what came earlier! That’s cool.
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Just lovely. I’m honestly tired of the “stereotypically blanketing” of these darn December clouds. I need some sun. But that is such a perfect line that it’s what I’ll call the sky when it’s gloomy.
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Always ‘mit’ butter! Nicely done, Mary Lee. It’s near dinner, I can tell as my tummy rumbles with your words. Happy New Year!
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Mary Lee, you made me hungry for fresh bread. Yum! While I do not know how to totally decipher the poem, I can imagine what it says. The first Elfchen is very comforting. Happy New Year.
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Mary Lee, I don’t speak or read German but I do speak BREAD – warm and fresh with butter! Love it and the poem!
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Mary Lee, I have really enjoyed seeing your embroidery projects! Your designs are beautiful. A blanket of clouds is somehow comforting for me, too. Happy New Year!
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So slow to get my comment in, but yes, I visited you first! I ADORE discovering that your cloudy elfchen is written from one of the mandalas–or is it a coincidence?! These both came out so well, and writing in German as you and Tanita did, is extra committed and effective. “no warmth, and yet”… Happy New Year to you and yours, Mary Lee!
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Mary Lee, this particular emboudery of your special needle gallery is so unexpected & makes me smile for the puffy clouds, which hold future rain.You & your foreign language buddy Tania brought THE country of Christmas to mind.
The brod [DK is our outpatient country language these days] , that is no-preservative fresh rye bread is my weekly order via a local bakery &so I’m slicing the biggest freshest slab fit you [ I’ll eat it for you] In appreciations.
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