Thursday, January 3, 2019

January ...List if You Must

Winter poems attempt to sweater my tongue
with fire, and candles, but my fingers
are too cold to pencil translations.

January loves resolutions that morning
the eye with snow white lists, brags
she’s the alpha tigress of new beginnings.

Oh first month you are like morning to me.
I rarely rise and shine…I am sister to the moon.
I’ve spent night hours dancing through secrets.

I rise more like a raven who is leery of sparkle
until I’ve filtered it through the right amount of coffee.
The year will fly so it is I who must test the wind for direction.

Yes, I could write an outline, but life and spirit will live the story.
So January list if you must…I will dream and be prepared to change
direction if one of the other eleven months chooses to build walls.

©Susie Clevenger 2019

I used four words from the list...January, Wind, Poems, Morning

14 comments:

  1. My goodness this is good!💞 So much to love in this poem so much to take away as one dips into the pool of emotional maturity and wisdom. Especially love: "The year will fly so it is I who must test the wind for direction." Thank you so much for writing to the pronpt, Susie 😊☕

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  2. A very nice list poem!I love the stanza that begins Oh first month you are like morning to me....Being an insomniac, I identify with this so much...I am sister to the moon. This reads beautifully

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  3. a poem that lists the listing, while saying no - in a very clever and beautiful way - I really loved the idea of being the one to test the wind, choosing direction - makes me think of prayer flags and weather veins - a wise woman's choice indeed. And outlines are just that - either held too closely in the rigidity of chalk, or --- inked in a fashion that allows for free-hand and colouring outside the lines.

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  4. Wonderful! Too many favourite phrases to quote! I especially love the first month being like morning.

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  5. I adore the opening lines, Susie! Actually, I love the whole poem but the first stanza made me pause for quite a while before I could continue to read.

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  6. A nice tribute to Jamuary as seen through your eyes and keying. I quickly identified with the night person, I've been one since I helped Mom clean the days eggs after others had gone to bed. The call it now "quality time."
    ..

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    1. I have done many writings including last nights and this comment, sitting on the edge of the bed using my Android smart phone. But aging makes me sleepy sooner.
      ..

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  7. "I am sister to the moon." How much I love these words. Perhaps, because like you, I prefer something else--October, with her dark moon... and the bones of Autumn dragging themselves into winter... to await Spring...

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  8. What a wonderful poem!! Yes, "sister of the moon.! So many good things.

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  9. January is the hardest of months.... here in Sweden they call the first weeks after Christmas the oxen weeks... only working and no fun (many have depleted their funds as well)

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  10. I really enjoyed this ode to January, the third stanza most especially.

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  11. You ~ are a mistress of words! Awesome poem.

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  12. "I rise more like a raven who is leery of sparkle
    until I’ve filtered it through the right amount of coffee.
    The year will fly so it is I who must test the wind for direction."

    I so enjoyed reading this, and really feeling it.

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  13. "...I could write an outline"... that made me smile. We both know how well those work out! Loved this poem - lots of great imagery as mentioned above.

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