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December 18, 2014

Poetry Friday--Winter Solstice

The Winter Solstice takes place on Sunday, December 21, at 23:03. By Monday, the days will be growing longer once again. Hallelujah!


This poem was sent to me as part of a lovely gift package from my Winter Poem Swap gifter, Irene Latham. The Winter Swap was organized through the generosity of Tabatha Yeatts.

Poem © Irene Latham, all rights reserved. Photo by Matt Katzenberger "Touch the Light."


A lovely evocation of the season! Many thanks, Irene! Mary Lee Hahn sent me "Sensing the Solstice" for the 2012 Winter Swap, she wrote about it here. In 2013 I received a book of Margaret Gibson Simon's seasonal poems titled Illuminate. If you didn't participate in the Winter Swap this year, I hope you will in 2015!

The following is a collection of my solstice poems:

I'm not sure if this was posted/published anywhere. (I'm a lousy record-keeper.) I wrote it in 2010:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved. Print by Hiroshige courtesy Library of Congress.


Haiku Sticky #128 is from 2011:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.


In 2012, at Random Noodling I wrote about the solstice and two poems about Saint Lucy. The following was also written in 2012, shortly after the tragedy in Newtown, CT:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.


I guess 2013 was uninspiring--I didn't write a solstice poem last year--but, here's a new one for 2014:

© Diane Mayr, all rights reserved.


Happy Hanukkah to all who are celebrating it this week! I hope at least one of your gifts is a book of poems! And the same for all who celebrate Christmas next week. Buffy's Blog will be hosting the solstice/holiday poetry extravaganza today!





16 comments:

  1. Oooooh, Irene's poem is both magical and inspiring. What will unfurl in 2015, my friend?

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  2. luv them all the last one is my favourite

    much love...

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  3. Wonderful poems, Diane (and Irene!) I especially love: solstice...no day, no night/only white....
    Sorry for the delay in linking your post--for some reason a few regular commenters got shunted into the unapproved wasteland, including yours. Happy holidays to you!

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    1. No problem, Buffy! I'm glad you enjoyed solstice. A little judicious cropping made the scene possible. See the original here.

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  4. I like that kernel of courage unfurling! Guess we'd better hang on to it like somebody's clinging to that extra thirty seconds of daylight!

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    1. "kernal of courage unfurling" is such a revealing phrase.

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  5. Irene's poem is so lovely with those just right words, dreaming, mingling, and unfurling. I somehow missed the sign up for the winter poetry swap. Thanks for mentioning last year's gift.

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    1. Don't miss the summer one, Margaret! And thank you for your last year's gift!

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  6. Hi, Diane--
    I enjoyed your collection and recollection...Irene's poem is beautifully designed, isn't it? I would love to participate in the Swap, and yet declining to do so was a gift I gave myself. : )

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    1. Boy, I can understand that decision, Heidi! Enjoy the holidays.

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  7. What lovely solstice poems. Hooray for more daylight :)!

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    1. Thanks, Jama! I'm tired of the winter grey already!

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  8. Mmmm Irene's "cold,/quiet sunlight" is gorgeous, as is the whole poem. And I so enjoyed yours from recent years as well!

    May your holidays be "enlightening" and lovely! :0)

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  9. Love your Solstice collection! Bring on the light!!

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