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Greetings Spiritual Thursday Writers and Poetry Friday Friends,
Thank you, Jone McCullough for the wonderful prompt, Dark and Light. She's managing some tragic news unexpectedly. And, thank you Patricia for a rich Poetry Friday poem and post. You inspire me at Reverie.
I have a dark and light experience going on right now. I'm in bed with a case of covid. YUCK! But, my family just adopted two adorable kitten brothers that are keeping my spirits up. This is after our last cat was suffering more bad days than good and was put to sleep just after Thanksgiving.
Life comes fast and furious sometimes. These drafty draft poems are event-specific from where I am isolating. I might work them into something later. For now, they are the Light and Dark of me.
Light and Dark
Dark is war
rumors of war
bits of shrapnel
bomb dust everywhere.
A December day
weighing Autumn’s coin
against Winter’s bill
now due.
Dark is an airport terminal
of canceled flights.
No arrival tonight. Dark is seawater filling tunnels.
Death erasing life.
Grief gushing in.
Each reading eye
picks up shards
of dark
both dull and sharp again.
How to spend
dark currency?
If only I could buy light
to drive away this fear
before we all fall asleep.
Light is scent
of cookies baking.
Or, Kittens snuggled
at my side.
Light is a gift of
handknit socks
perfect on my feet.
Light is a December smile.
Secrets without long
to wait.
Candles lit and glowing
overcoming grief with cheer. Sounds of carolers
singing in the street
laughing off forgotten words
still keeping up a beat.
Light is as
Snowflakes,
Wishes,
Peace.
Peace finding everyone,
finding everyone before
we fall asleep.
Drafty-draft Linda Mitchell 12/8/23
I'm practicing elfchens based on the Poetry Pals December invitation. There's one on Word's padlet.
Hi Linda: I've got "something" now also, coughing and no voice. It's that time of year. I hope you are better soon, finding light. I'm glad your kittens, who can snuggle even in the midst of Covid. You have some vivid images in your poem. The sea water gushing, the handknit socks. Snowflakes... we had a few yesterday, bringing hope of enchantment. I wish you well.
ReplyDeleteLinda, so sorry that you are not feeling well. Your poem of dark and light offers beautiful contrast. I hope the light finds you!
ReplyDeleteSo sorry that you're not well, Linda. Hope you're much better very soon! This ending of December is a time for us all to bring as much light into the world as we can with it so in turmoil. I love your poem stringing all the "lights" together, and "weighing Autumn’s coin/against Winter’s bill" is so true! Wishing you a weekend of getting well!
ReplyDeleteHoping your covid symptoms abate quickly and that you'll be good as new soon. I love the way you juxtaposed the dark currency with simple delights that surround you, everyday happenings that bring light to us. Wonderful cat pics and fun to live with them a bit before naming them.
ReplyDeleteLinda, I hope you get well soon! I had a second round of Covid back in September. It knocked me out cold for 24 hours, and then I was better. It is indeed a time of light and dark, and I'm glad you have those two fun new kittens.
ReplyDeleteSorry to hear about the COVID. Like how you balanced dark with light in your poem -- no matter what, we must never lose hope. Your new kittens are adorable. Feel better soon!
ReplyDeleteLinda, I hope you are back to health in no time. What a joy (light!) to be accompanied by kittens and snuggled in knitted sockies :) I am also weighing what it is to hold both light and dark at once. More to come in my SJ post! You offer some powerful metaphors - especially dark currency we spend!
ReplyDeleteoops...This is Patricia
DeleteThe contrast of light and dark is delivered in ways that paints the clear delineation between them with acute clarity, Linda. Your use of metaphor adds to the description. And while they contrast, what separates them is often a very thin line. May your Covid crumble and crawl away as quickly as possible. It had it back in May for the first time and have no desire to revisit this scourge of a virus. Get well, Stay well.
ReplyDeleteI like how you turned from dark to light in that middle stanza. Your darks were SO dark that it was absolutely a relief to end with light.
ReplyDeleteHow funny that your dark (literally) kittens are bringing you light (figuratively)! I can't wait to hear what you name them.
And I love your first attempt at an elfchen! I have even managed to write one in (very rudimentary) German, for the bonus points!
I like how your poem seamlessly transforms from dark to light. Hoping you are feeling better very soon. And those kittens are adorable!
ReplyDeleteI love this dark/light contrast. So sorry you have COVID. :( At least you're missing the pre-break chaos of school?
ReplyDeleteLinda, hope you are feeling well soon. I love how your poem starts out dark and ends with light. Light breaks through and disperses darkness. Arjeha.
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you have a bout of Covid, I'm sending armfuls of healing and light wishes your way! I'm glad your poem makes it over to the light–our small world sure needs more of it. I enjoyed your clever Elfchen, and appreciate the nudge to work on one too–Thanks for all Linda! Feel better soon, xox
ReplyDeleteLinda, I'm sorry for your Covid--hoping you're feeling better soon. I adore the metaphor of this:
ReplyDeleteA December day
weighing Autumn’s coin
against Winter’s bill
now due.
And then the beauty of the specifics you share! Hope you emerge into the light soon! (And big hugs over your kitty loss.)
Kittens, hand knit socks, snowflakes and so much more in your poem to help balance in small ways the dark. Thanks for sharing this. Happy Holidays, Linda!
ReplyDeleteI'm so sorry you are sick. But I do love your dark and light stanzas, how you are finding light in simple things like new kittens and warm socks. Take care and feel better soon.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, apologies for not commenting sooner. I am so sorry that you have Covid! Ugh! But those kittens! Swoon. Your drafty-draft poem is rich with images.
ReplyDelete