On a cold day in January

Of late, I have been thinking of connections
served
in a white bowl of fresh fruit;

we talk about political poetry as if it’s a kind of effusion
about something going onβ€”
can we hope to see past the glitter, the charm
and gravel
in voice?

I am percussion,
city heat blushing with the surge of ongoing atrocities
tucked

beneath the rug of the fourth estate;
do they really think they can separate ache (that strips
carnations
of colour) from writing?

Despite its fragility, the city comes out as artwork
invaluable

in medium of ice; like darker veins, the cold winter is our friend
for it freezes the larvae of pests and allows anarchy
to die disheveled, diffused
and softβ€”
in my book, that’s better than bedside coffee
and croissants.

 

 

Photo credits: Pinterest

Word List: ache, gravel, percussion, city, carnation, bedside, heat, bread, poems πŸ’

Posted for Open Link Night #281 @ dVerse Poets Pub

50 thoughts on “On a cold day in January

  1. you really do have a free way of expression – quite unique and always some gorgeous lines
    “Despite its fragility, the city comes out as artwork” – memorable!!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Laura πŸ˜€ so glad the poem resonated with you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  2. Nice work, S. I’d give up coffee and croissants, too, if it meant we could free ourselves of those pest larvae… forever..

    Salut!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Ron πŸ˜€ so good to see you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  3. I love the immediacy of this January poem, Sanaa, and its messages, both metaphorical and real, especially β€˜I have been thinking of connections served in a white bowl of fresh fruit’; β€˜city heat blushing with the surge of ongoing atrocities’; and β€˜like darker veins, the cold winter is our friend’.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, my dearest Kim πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  4. I love this: ‘the cold winter is our friend
    for it freezes the larvae of pests and allows anarchy
    to die disheveled, diffused

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Linda πŸ˜€ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  5. Ingrid says:

    ‘I am percussion,
    city heat blushing with the surge of ongoing atrocities
    tucked
    beneath the rug of the fourth estate’ – Wow!
    I feel the city heat, rain-drenched streets in contrast to the cosiness of the coffee and croissants. I would love to know which city is shown in the picture as it looks very familiar.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Ingrid πŸ˜€ so glad the poem resonated with you πŸ’„β€οΈ

      (it was an image I found on Pinterest, not sure which city it is)

  6. A very strong and clarion message, absent of romantic references. I really enjoyed the ride here. I liked,”do they really think they can separate ache from writing?”

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Glenn πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it πŸ’„β€οΈ

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Amitrajit πŸ™‚ so good to see you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  7. msjadeli says:

    One of your best yet, Sanaa!

    1. Sanaa says:

      ❀️❀️❀️❀️

  8. Jane Dougherty says:

    I like this one, Sanaa. As Glenn points out, it doesn’t have your usual romantic message, and I think it gains from it.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Jane πŸ™‚ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  9. Charlie Zero the Poet says:

    The textures in every line you express is incredibly outstanding.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Charlie πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  10. Susan says:

    Wonderful writing! I especially like “I am percussion,
    city heat blushing with the surge of ongoing atrocities
    tucked beneath the rug …” Really good stuff!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Susan πŸ˜€ so glad the poem resonated with you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  11. Evocative write! I get the sense that these cold, hard times are what we need, collectively. There is a peace that exudes even from the cold rainy day pictured above. Your poems always get me thinking and feeling! πŸ’–

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Tricia πŸ˜€ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  12. rob kistner says:

    This is splendid poetry Sanaa, well crafted and beautifully written, loved the image you paired with your verse.
    β€œI am percussion,
    city heat blushing with the surge of ongoing atrocities”
    Explosive and engaging!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Rob πŸ˜€ so good to see you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  13. Eugenia says:

    Oh, how superb, Sanaa. A most engaging piece.

    1. Sanaa says:

      ❀️❀️❀️❀️

  14. connections
    served
    in a white bowl of fresh fruit;

    Fiiled under “things I wish I’d written”

    1. Sanaa says:

      Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Alexandra πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it! πŸ’„β€οΈ

  15. Dwight Roth says:

    So many connections are made over food/fruit. It is a time honored tradition!

    1. Sanaa says:

      Definitely πŸ˜€ thanks for stopping by, Dwight πŸ’„β€οΈ

  16. Each verse is crafted beautifully, use of images “bowl of fresh fruit” “city heat blushing” is amazing! I loved it from the starting to the end.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Mrityunjay πŸ˜€ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  17. This is fantastic. I especially liked the last stanza and these lines,
    “the cold winter is our friend
    for it freezes the larvae of pests and allows anarchy
    to die disheveled, diffused
    and softβ€”in my book, that’s better than bedside coffee
    and croissants.”
    Winter has never been my favorite part of the year. You have brought a new light to it.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Alicia πŸ˜€ so glad the poem resonated with you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  18. I have neither prose nor poetry enough to express how much I savored every word of this, Sanaa.

    I am percussion,
    city heat blushing

    🀯

    -David

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, David πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  19. Kerfe says:

    I wish for your words to be right, that the winter will chill the flames burning our country and our world. I like the simple images here–very effective.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Kerfe πŸ˜€ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  20. Ken Gierke says:

    These lines:
    “do they really think they can separate ache (that strips
    carnations of colour) from writing?”

    It’s true. Whatever is said and printed, it’s still weighted by our experiences and perception.

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Ken πŸ˜€ so glad the poem resonated with you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  21. A lovely poem, Sanaa, and timely, too.
    I love this line:
    “Despite its fragility, the city comes out as artwork”

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Merril πŸ˜€ so glad you enjoyed it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  22. JIm Feeney says:

    This so eloquent, Sanaa,
    “the cold winter is our friend
    for it freezes the larvae of pests and allows anarchy
    to die disheveled, diffused”
    this is briilliant..JIM

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Jim πŸ˜€ so good to see you πŸ’„β€οΈ

  23. Lona Gynt says:

    this is beautiful and timely. Those who commented that it did not have a romantic theme, are of course, correct. But it is doubtful to say this poem is a better poem because of that. This is a different poem, that stands strongly on its own without a need to be compared to your always stunningly vivid and sometimes achingly tender romantic poetry. This is just not a romantic poem, and your romantic poems are just not political poems. That’s it. Ok, with that out of the way, here goes: πŸ˜‰
    Sanaa, this is a wonderful poem, this line causes me great reflection:
    “we talk about political poetry as if it’s a kind of effusion
    about something going onβ€””
    it is interesting to think that political poems are just a reaction to the times of the day, when in fact they can be more universal, engaging on ongoing principles that shape our political or cultural endeavors. I like how you frame in a way what is important by bringing it down so closely to what is personal, the “little” things that touch our live, the art and the expression- both things that become fragile and suspect in authoritarian or anarchist regimes. I am afraid that winter offers little protection, however, to the current (and cyclical) dangers. But the the wish inherent to be able to rest and be and just live the beautiful life around us without it being appropriated to the purposes of power grabs, is itself beautiful. It is a beautiful wih at the center of your wishful thinking here. thank you for this! πŸ™‚

    1. Sanaa says:

      Thank you so much, Lona πŸ˜€ so glad you liked it πŸ’„β€οΈ

  24. Lona Gynt says:

    *beautiful WISH at the center of you wishful thinking… *

    1. Sanaa says:

      ❀️❀️❀️❀️

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *