There’s a bit of the Romantic in me, so I’ve always loved fog. For me, it conjures a sense of mystery (bordering on the supernatural), solitude (my favorite!), and introspection.
Below is a poem from my first book, The Wind and the Shadows. On one level, it’s a poem about driving on a foggy day. On another level it’s…you tell me! What does the fog imagery evoke for readers?
Driving through the Fog Driving through the fog this morning. Visibility is less than 100 feet in any direction. I can’t see where I’m going. It’s all just white like a blank canvas. Shadows grow into dark shapes that suggest things ahead: trees, houses, telephone poles. But I can’t really see anything until I’m almost to it, and I never know which way the road will take me. In my rearview mirror (which isn’t much bigger than a photograph) I see those things that are behind me. As I get further past, details become hazy and colors fade. Soon, there are just phantoms slipping into the fog. Looking back won’t get me anywhere but in the ditch. Since I’m uncertain about what’s ahead, I slow up. There’s still a ways to go so I look around and think about my plans for the day. As well as I am able, I pass the time that is left and continue through the fog.
A Wandering Minstrel 