As the final season of Game of Thrones gets under way; it is interesting to note that on this day in 2011 the very first episode was aired on HBO. Game of Thrones was written by George R. R. Martin, and as fans will know one of the most oft used phrases is “Winter is coming” so in homage to this the final season, I have chosen a poem called Winter Is Coming by Alexander Baron, even though up here in Orkney Spring is in full bloom.

Winter Scene overlooking the North Isles. 18/01/2018 (H Armet)

Winter Is Coming

The sky is deepest blue,
The Sun is shining bright,
But there’s a chillness to the air,
I feel it everywhere,
All through the day and night;
Winter is coming.

The swallows have flown south
Long time since, and the ground
Is hard beneath my boots,
The trees stand bare of leaves and fruits,
And all around
Is still,
Silent;
Winter is coming.

The sky will soon be gone,
Obscured by cloud,
The ponds and lakes begin to freeze,
The wind will bend the trees
Until they’re bowed
In supplication.
Winter is coming, again.

I feed the hungry birds in my garden:
Song thrush, starling, sparrow.
The light fades from the Sun
Now darker days have come,
The cold bites to the marrow,
And Winter is here.
Again

By Alexander Baron