I have long been fascinated by the Japanese haiku form of 5- 7- 5 syllables in three lines. Written in English, these cannot translate into Japanese directly. However, we can attempt the idea of encapsulating a thought, an incident in a few words. The Japanese masters always included a 'seasonal word' which told their readers which season was being written about. Even if you are not interested in the form itself, try reducing your poems to the minimum words necessary to carry your idea. It is a salutary exercise, and has a good effect on your verse.

Of course, you make your readers work harder at understanding the poem, but a good poem is like a good painting - it reveals itself gradually, sometimes over years. If you want to be explicit, write a text- book and forget about poetry! This poem pulls together random things I saw or felt during the year - winter to winter, and hopefully conveys some idea of the season.