Cold Comforts – 9th February 2025

~ shaun tenzenmen

There are lookers and there are seers
And those blinkered of the mind
Some are do-ers whilst others are be-ers
Finally, those who choose to be blind

Some see magic within the leafless tree
Finding comfort in familiar concrete
As cold and unforgiving as they may be
Rainbows bloom all along the street

Some days, the sees will turn to looks
The busyness of time puts on the blinkers
Turning towards the turning page of books
The seers become the thinkers

The wanderlust begs the wonder lost
Learning is the unlearning to see
Expanding knowledge comes at a cost
Soon blindness becomes the reality

Inspired by writing at this post on the Spinning Visions blog and contemplating how we lose our sense of wonder as we age and become wiser, or at least, more filled with knowledge.
7th Nov 2025 – Shared with W3 – comfort – not quite to the prompt but adjacent at least.

24 thoughts on “Cold Comforts – 9th February 2025”

  1. I’m laughing madly as I mis-read the first line as” There are hookers and there are see-ers”. I thought “Wow, cold comfort and hookers, where’s this going!” Then I checked and realised I’d got it wrong. There’s definitely potential in the wrong reading, too.

    Having read the poem more accurately, I think the philosophical tone is well pitched as it comes across as a reflection shaped by rhythm rather than sermonising. I liked the use of the steady rhyme scheme to provide cohesion; it feels closer to folk ballad than to lyric poetry and that suits the subject. The strongest moments are where the imagery briefly sharpens (“magic within the leafless tree” / “rainbows bloom all along the street”) to anchor the abstractions. Well crafted as always.

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  3. I rather like that you have gone off piste with this Shaun. Cold comfort indeed when we lose our wonder in place of knowledge and our years. Love the image of rainbows that “billow all along the street”and the gradual unveiling of reality.

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      1. Shaun,

        MAZAL TOV!

        Marion has selected you as our W3 ‘Poet of the Week’ this week; and I’ve emailed you with ‘next steps’.

        If you haven’t received my email (sometimes my emails end up in people’s spam folders), please email me asap directly at:

        DVDBGMLNY at GMAIL dot COM

        Thanks so much!

        ~David

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  6. Hi Shaun,

    You have been chosen as the Poet of the Week. I really enjoyed your unusual take on the prompt. Maybe not food, but certainly food for thought. Thank you so much! David will be emailing you separately about this week’s prompt.

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  8. Shaun, this stanza particularly touches my soul:

    ”Some see magic within the leafless tree
    Finding comfort in familiar concrete
    As cold and unforgiving as they may be
    Rainbows bloom all along the street”

    Congrats on being this week’s PoW. So well earned 👏

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