Little one,
the time is now
to sing your winter song.
From your ice-covered perch,
let it carry and fly –
over snow-covered fields
and windswept hills,
deep into the meadows and valleys.
Let the cold wind sweep it
far and wide.
Remind us all that
beauty lives
in frost and bloom alike.
Pink sky, white landscape
Sun rises on a bright day
Winter greets the world
A storm overnight
Red berries in sparkling ice
Dangerous beauty
Cold winter moonlight
Stars on a velvet canvas
Silence in the fields
I know the beauty
of snow
is fleeting,
but it’s sad just the same
to watch it melt away
under a bright, warm
winter sun
and return to the earth
to one day fall again.
Until then,
I’ll wait.
Through the gate and
into the cold winter world,
the New Year comes to greet the Old.
Not to replace or relive,
but revive –
tired hands,
tired hearts,
tired minds –
and bring new light
to the darkest days.
That Friday feeling:
at the end of the week,
either too tired to move
or ready to seek out the party.
Or, perhaps neither –
just looking to read a book
(or two)
(or three).
I admit,
it’s easy to be caught up
in the swing of the world
and the speed of the days,
to measure your progress
in emails and spreadsheets,
and forget to slow down
and just be.
So take it –
that Friday feeling, I mean –
and make it whatever you need.
Call it a night,
or read something good,
or do something nice,
or keep the lights on
until morning.
I promise,
while you’re resting
or dancing
or reading,
or taking a moment to breathe,
the planet will keep turning.
Another poetry challenge from Fake Flamenco! And another poetry form I’ve never tried: a flamenca. And y’all, this was most definitely challenging, but also really fun. I always love a chance to flex my writing muscles in a new way. So, enjoy! And if you want to participate, too, the deadline to post is Sunday, December 12th.
************
The old year turns to new
with a promise of light.
The darkest of days
reminds a weary earth
there’s peace in the night sky.
In last night’s pajamas,
throw together:
Ambition, with a dash
of anxiety.
Just a sprinkle of
focus,
and a pinch
of “I got this!”
Add a cup of coffee.
(Make that two, actually…)
Shake and mix well.
Serve with a side
of “Oh, hell,
I forgot about that…”
The Monday Special:
Order up!
The last of the year,
the shortest of days,
a high bright moon
in a new winter haze –
December descends,
the darkest of months,
in stoic shades
of white and gray.
But there’s beauty
in the spartan landscape
and comfort in the cold air:
a peaceful silence,
a slant of light,
a joy in rest
and in the hope of
fresh fallen snow,
a gift in the season of giving
and a spirit in knowing
the season is fleeting.
All things must
come to an end,
and in ending can
begin again.
I’d like to know
the language of the grove,
to understand the subtle
conversation of the trees.
To speak without words,
to give and to take
as they need,
to sustain and support
through heat waves and storms –
there’s a special kind of magic
in those ancient roots
and rustling leaves.
I wrote these for the November 2021 Poetry Challenge over at Fake Flamenco (which is a wonderful blog that you should definitely go visit and follow). I’ve never written a tanka before, or done a poetry challenge, for that matter, so I had some fun and wrote a few different poems. Enjoy! And if you want to participate, too, the deadline to post is Sunday, November 16th.
**********
The moon and the sun
They are sisters eternal
Each in her own place
They bring balance to the sky
And harmony to mankind
**********
I can hold it all
Stars and moon, the midnight sky
Wrapped close in my arms
The velvet dark and blue light
A cosmic lover kept safe
**********
Paint the stars with me
Dream the dreams and name the lights
Sing songs of elders
Deep in the dark sky’s belly
Awaken the living flame
