Move towards the light with me. Something to get you through to the 21st December…It’s not long now (10 days at the time of writing this blog) before we get to the winter solstice and the world turns back towards the light.
Yippee! Yes, it’s a slow process, but at least it’s going in the right direction, and by the end of January, you can definitely tell that the evenings are getting lighter.
Moving forward
I wrote about the solstice in 2020 as one reason to be cheerful at this time of year. Much has changed since then. I’m now retired from university teaching and spending most of my time writing poetry (and book reviews and blogs) and loving it. I love the change of pace and the freedom to do what you’ve always wanted to but never really had the time.
My new website
I’ve changed my website too (thanks to Martin) to reflect my change of career. It’s now a site for me as a writer not just a poet for occasions, (which I still do) and a smashing place where I share and showcase my work.
Poetry Groups
Since 2020 I’ve also become a member of various poetry groups, most recently, the Promoting Yorkshire Authors (PYA) group. And I attended my first meeting with them this week. It was a Christmas get together online and we were set the task of writing something that had to include 5 specific words. All to be done in 10 min. I wrote this:
Move towards the light
Come one, come all, in the gathering gloom,
the days are short, no flowers in bloom.
Listen in the corners where spirits do play,
safe in their darkness of the shortest day.
But look to the East, watch the miracle grow,
the night moves on and the day doth glow.
The Earth has turned once more to spring,
rejoice in your hearts, let the music begin!
I got all 5 words in too.
This was a lovely bunch of writers who welcomed me in and, despite the ratio of prose to poetry, (many to 1, and the 1 was me) listened to what I had written even if wasn’t their cup of tea.
No, it’s not my best work. But it isn’t bad for a few minutes effort with restrictions in words and time. And it goes out to all who, like me, dislike the dark days, and celebrate the turn of the year on the 21st. And, if it’s not too early to say it…Roll on Spring! With good wishes to all for the holidays. See you in the New Year!