My poem written at the turning of the year

 Winter Solstice

Starry night, windy and cold, bleak.

Gazing from my window, it looks like just another such night,

dark and closed in, spring far away, and I huddle near the heat. 

In this age of separation, we spend our days indoors.

Cosmic matters such as the tilting of the earth’s axis,

 the changing of the year, get forgotten.

Mostly we are unaware of the big things,

the planets and stars, the movement of sea and land,

our earth home moving toward the light as the world continues its yearly journey. 


Yet the wheel of life turns, and we turn with it. This very night

is the moment when long nights begin to grow shorter.

 We’ll soon begin to bask in warm sunlight as

slowly, slowly the earth creeps toward spring, then summer.

 Ancient peoples celebrated this momentous event, and honored the forces

that yet again moved them toward light and life. 


This day when I have been so discouraged by our country’s mess,

the hatred and intolerance rampant, the common sense abandoned,

with effort I turn my attention to the greater movement of the heavens,

the wisdom of the planet, the comfort of the changing seasons,

and I burn a candle to honor the forces of light and love.

Comments

  1. joann hodshonDecember 22, 2021 at 8:08 AM

    Hello, Nan,
    I, too, celebrate the Solstice, the moment when days begin to lengthen, and, although almost imperceptible, the season turns . . .hope your Solstice celebration warms your heart, and hope that soon the sun will warm us both. With Love, Jo Ann

    ReplyDelete
  2. BarbDecember 22, 2021 at 9:57 AM

    Thank you Nan, I thought of you last night, maybe when you were writing this poem…
    Happy returning if the light!

    ReplyDelete
  3. MargaretDecember 22, 2021 at 10:34 AM

    oh the ceremony is doing more than you realize Nan--I am sure of it! Happy Solstice -- time we create our visions for changes we want and figure out how to bypass the greed---

    ReplyDelete
  4. Nan FawcettDecember 22, 2021 at 2:38 PM

    Thanks so much for your comments. I am recovering from a hip replacement that took place two weeks ago, and I am still mostly only imagining what it is like outside. One of these days I'll be walking again!

    ReplyDelete
  5. KarynDecember 23, 2021 at 8:50 AM

    Your descriptive solstice ideas are such a welcome relief to, as you say, the awful things that are going on in our country. When I read it, I can "forget" the bad stuff for awhile, and concentrate on all the calming metaphors. I love the idea of lighting a candle at the end, either allegorically or in reality.

    ReplyDelete

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