Chimney smoke rises, and a poet gets to work

Chimney smoke hangs in the air on a still winter morning. Photo by Sue Shaw.

Feb. 10, 2026

Maine morning

Maine in the winter, we all know,

Is frigid cold and there’ll be snow!

But on windless mornings, bright and clear,

Chimneys such as the ones shown here

Have columns of smoke, pure white, that rise

Into the frozen, still, clear skies.

Smoke forms a cloud, that hovers there,

Above the roof in Maine coast air,

And this image lets my mind’s -eye see

Just how cozy it must be

To sit in that kitchen beside the fire

As the morning smoke and cloud rise higher. 

Cozy and warm, with the coffee hot

A comforting, snuggled-in kind of spot

That says “Maine winter” with a heart-felt smile…

And invites you to sit by the fire for a while!

—Shaw is a poet who lives in Penobscot.

The Rising Tide welcomes poems and other artistic endeavors from our community, and showcases them here in our “Create” section. If you have something you’d like to submit—a poem, a picture of a painting, a photograph, a music recording—send it to info@risingtide.media. We’d love to publish it and give you an audience for your creativity.