Whitby Harbor In Depth Of Winter Poem by Deanna Samuels

Bay waters no longer lap or slurp against the harbor walls,
imprisoned now beneath thick frozen layers of ice.
An eerie quietness befalls the bay scene
bar the occasional flapping and stretching of wings from
flocks of ducks and one lonely gull resting quietly
on either crumpled icy heaps upon frozen bay water
or on the nearby snow-covered path and grass verges.

Barely a breath of wind to sway branches of nearby trees
standing stiffly beneath a lightly clouded slate grey sky.
A colony of gulls appear, fly in and rest on harbor railings,
one balancing precariously on a thin metal post
beside steps that lead down to the bay water shore.

The snow-covered harbor wall stretches around the bay
as, too, the narrow icy path alongside its base.
At the outer end of harbor wall, a small light beacon stands.
The bay opens to the waters of Lake Ontario; it, too, lacks
much movement, small waves merely rolling over one another,
then gently rolling up to lap at the shore's shingly edge.

People arrive to walk along the icy path, observe the wildlife,
some scattering a few seeds for the birds to help sustain them
as unable to feed themselves due to the frozen bay waters.


Written at Whitby Harbor observing the scene - 14th February 2026