No sugarhouse scent hangs thick in the air,
No maple sap boils to amber delight,
Just pine needles crackle beneath frozen boots,
And the sun, a pale ghost, claws for winter’s white.
Here on the Middlebury Mile, the wind whispers tales
Of skiers long gone, their icy ballet etched in time,
Down Sheehan’s spine, a ribbon of boredom unwinding,
Each mogul a humdrum, predictable rhyme.
But turn leftward, where shadows deepen and fall,
Where the fall line dips, a whisper in the trees,
There the pitch quickens, adrenaline’s icy thrall,
And gloved fingers tighten on bent, eager knees.
Through glades of white ghosts, past pines in stoic grace,
Carving crescendos, a symphony unsung,
Until the bottom swallows, a breathless embrace,
And laughter bursts forth, like a jay’s winter song.
Then back to the lodge, where warmth thaws the chill,
A symphony of steam from mugs held tight,
Egg salad’s pale crown on toasted rounds, the thrill
Of conquest savored, bathed in golden light.
For the Middlebury Mile’s not just Sheehan’s drone,
But a secret sonata, played on frozen keys,
Where every turn unveils a note unknown,
And winter’s harsh song finds its sweet harmonies.
This was fun. I used Bard and I was surprised how polite Bard was in their responses to me. I also found it creepy how easily Bard found accurate references for things that I thought were obscure (how boring the Sheehan is at the Snow Bowl) while inserting random and inappropriate details like ungloved hands and a robin’s song (neither of which belongs in a VT winter poem).
In this version of the poem I saw “gloved” hands and a “Jay’s winter song”. Did you tell the AI to change those details or did you just edit it yourself?