Monday, February 1, 2021

Imbolc

 


No matter how bad the news is,
with all that  mankind has wrought,
the miracle is that each February, 
as the teasing light slowly lengthens
these sleepy afternoons,
green things pop up through the earth,
ready to repeat the endless cycle
from dormancy to re-birth.

I catch my breath
at the glory of it all -
Mother Nature unrolling 
yet another spring
for we unworthy,
but appreciative,
silly human things.

How generous she is!
Her mantra is Life! Life! Life!
amidst all the disappearing,
and the dying. 

Tiny snowdrops poke up
through earth's crust, as tender
as a baby's tears, yet with
determined thrust.

And, down at the shore,
clinging to the rocks,
starfish are singing
the season in,
in colours orange, purple
and blue - a promise
of yet another springtime
gifted to me and you.


for earthweal where Sarah has us contemplating Imbolc and re-birth. Spring always Knocks. Me. Out. Every year, the same old miracle, yet new every single time. 


12 comments:

  1. Oh yes, Sherry, I’ve noticed it too, the February miracle of light slowly lengthening afternoons and green things popping up through the earth! I especially love the lines about snowdrops. I would love to see the starfish, which we don’t seem to get here on the North Norfolk coast.

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  2. She is indeed generous in every season, but especially spring.

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  3. Oh, the end is a revelation to me -- starfish as a herald to spring. Thank you!

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  4. Ah, lovely, Sherry. How foolish we are, how clumsy in the face of nature. I love those starfish, too - they sound amazing.

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  5. And what a perfect gift the springtime is! I can hear the gratitude emanating from these lines:
    'starfish are singing
    the season in,'
    -this is just delightful! Where we are, jellyfish are making an appearance :-)

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  6. I do like the LIFE in this poem. Also, the action of unroll a season. I would love to see those starfish.

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  7. Life is finite and ever in danger of dying out -- what a miracle, this blue dot Earth, surrounded by an immensity of nonlife. And humans may be well the end of life on Earth, or most of it. We can undo in one year what took life millions to achieve. And yet spring is returning, greening, bestowing wonder, charming us out of our errancies, if only for a greening afternoon. We don't deserve it but we sure celebrate it, and you do. Thanks -

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  8. Love your anticipation of Spring. Nature is so comforting.

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  9. Beautiful, Sherry. You got me at the promise of springtime!! May it come soon.

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  10. those west coast starfisd singing the season in, great stuff Sherry!

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  11. The descriptions all bring that sense of growth, its early beginnings from beneath a cold earth. I love your line'from dormancy to re-birth'There is a true spirit of renewal in your poem.

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  12. Springtime is always a gift..what a joy to have rebirth!

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