Greetings, Poetry Lovers! This week, I am happy to share the rest of the wonderful New Year Poem Postcard Swap treasures that made their way from many regions of the country to my mailbox. Thank you, Poetry Friends! Our Swap wrangler Jone Rush MacCulloch always invites participants to explore the theme of the Lunar New Year (which buys us a few weeks of sending time!), but that is not a requirement. I'm always delighted to read/see the thoughts, inspirations, and clever creations folks come up with. It's a great way to start a new year, maybe this one more than ever. (And we get to enjoy the word, 'Apricity'!) Enjoy!
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CHOOSE JOY
LOVE ANYWAY
gorgeous handmade prints
strung together ©Mary Lee Hahn
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Apricity
(the warmth of the sun in winter)
Awakening the day's
Promise, sun's warmth.
Reaches
Inside the depths of winter's
Chill
Inviting us to
Tranquil hearts and souls
Yielding peace.
©Rose Capelli
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FEAR
I ache whenever I see Liberty faltering.
I cringe whenever I hear the fiery blazes.
I grieve whenever I think of tomorrow.
But not today.
Today I will wear my full sunshine
and bask in hope where the yesses are.
Liberty, look at me.
Blazes, hear me.
Tomorrow, think of me.
Yes, yes, yes, yes, yes.
©Denise Krebs
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Temptation Wins
This is it. This will be the year.
I'm gonna rein it in. I'm too old
for these late-night shenanigans.
I gotta leave it to the young-uns.
An ol' Ky-ote can be content
under a sky full of memories
leading the pack, the night runs,
the thrill of the chase, all creosote
and rabbit musk - this year,
I give it up. I'm two days in,
relyin' on stamina,
controlling the urge, ignoring...
aw shit... why do I even try...
Ow-woo! Yip-yip-yip! Ow-woo!
©Patricia J. Franz
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PERKS OF BEING A SNAKE
At birth a snake
is qualified
to taste the world,
with tongue as guide
Need some room
inside your head?
A snake's jaw is
known to spread
Snakes molt as needed
(shed their skin)
Now is a good time
to begin
©Tabatha Yeatts
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iris is a waterwheel
pupil is a solar cell
eyelash is a gear & sprocket
muscle is a thermal well
arm is a rotor blade
blood is an ocean swell
body is a generator
heart is a battery
I believe that we can solve
our energy emergency
©Heidi Mordhorst
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gather
ingredients
without a recipe -
trust that your instincts can
create
wonders
©Sarah Grace Tuttle
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I Walk the Beach at Dawn
The tide crashes onto the skerries
rocking and roiling, stirring up
sand grains, sea kelp, and flotsam
a wood snake, last night's driftwood arrival
hisses, take note of your dreams,
I make list in the sand, throw a rock into the sea
for health and joy of those I love
for guidance from the ancestors
the asking prayer for the year
©Jone Rush MacCulloch
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moody, gray, cloudy
day, a stand of aspen
trees golden leaves
light our way
©Gail Aldous
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Year of the Snake Etched in Stillness
evening settles
in winter's shadowed silence
sparkling like diamonds
silhouetting against the sky
nature spreads its charm
©Carol Varsalona
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Advice from a titmouse
Show up
Be curious
Don't let your size
determine your goals
Hold on tight
when the wind blows
Never forget...
You were made for flying!
©Molly Hogan
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To Your Future Self
Tell me about 2025.
Tell me about rising and shining.
Tell me about moving and making.
Tell me about white roses in crystal vases.
Tell me about purple silks and silver stars.
Tell me about mothering your soft animal you.
Tell me who you lifted.
Tell me who you held.
Tell me why you cared.
Tell me what you forgave.
Tell me when you bowed your head.
Tell me that you made it.
©Mona Voelkel
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These poems and images (many original or by family members), along with the few I posted week before last, have been lovely gifts with which to start the new year and arm my mind and soul. Now it's time to turn out attention to the holiday of LOVE - Carol at Beyond Literacy Link is ready to help us all do just that as she's hosting the Roundup this week. Thanks, Carol! (Also, I sent a bunch of original Valentine postcards to the shop in Beaufort, SC, where I still have my wares for sale, and I'll list just a few on Etsy Friday.)