It’s a belief which I have always had.
Always strived for,
as tulips continue to bloom in the snow.
The tailor at the end of the road,
sweet sunshine
and scent of walnuts in the air.
One would think it’s impossible
for the heart to cope so much,
so little,
as clouds whisper amongst each other—
but there comes a time
when we learn to follow nothing else
but instinct.
Again and again, as though misfiring;
the arrows of sincerity kept missing the target,
no actually,
they kept going through them as if smoke,
as if mere words thrown into the open
and disregarded—
oh, how I believed, I believed with every fibre
of my being,
as the wind converses with mulberry trees.
It’s uncanny, when we are younger,
consequences are but the last thing on the mind,
the restaurant, unchanging, stands in place
only mindset has altered.
Did I mention the tears? Loss of self along
the way and dejection,
I stood by like a sailor on the tempestuous sea,
awaiting the shore
which never seemed to come into sight,
only a glimmer,
only flashes of pearly romance to tease,
until now— now that January is smiling.
Sand-pink lips
expressing actively what the core feels,
down to the toes,
trembling with anticipation.
The tulips bobbed their head in unison;
the flutes played with the violas,
I would have accepted anything, anything
but the idea of giving up,
as though the moon refusing to wax and wan,
why do we forget that conviction
is a circle?
It leaves no space for doubt to enter.
The children laughing in cobblestone streets,
their eyes
shaped by amount of ease that resides inside,
I observe them from a distance.
‘The world is your oyster’, as the saying goes,
not every road
leads directly to where we wish to go,
some have detours,
some come with thistle and thorn
but mostly, the road teaches us to appreciate
the journey we have led,
to be unafraid of the drop in temperature.
I would have kept going,
even if it meant
that seasons in the end are misanthropic,
I wouldn’t have given up on belief.
But as of now, this moment,
I am enjoying every detail there is of a tulip,
in vicinity.
I have come a long way.
Photo credits: Pinterest
For my prompt tonight at dVerse where I invite others to become the embodiment
of winter. I chose to write inspired by Horses in the Hill by Roberta Hill Whiteman.
Posted for Poetics: The Blizzard of the Self @dVerse Poets Pub
This is stunning and wild, and though your winter is so very different from the dank dreary place I appreciate the way you can present me with a positive view
Thank you so much, Bjorn 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
There is a deep maturity in this poem, Sanaa. Sometimes our fondest desire is just out of reach, yet we must go on with life, a different person, but onward.
Thank you so much, Lisa 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
The title on its own created an image of splashes of colour in the snow, Sanaa, and brightened up a wintry day. I also love the ‘sweet sunshine and scent of walnuts in the air’ and tulips bobbing their heads in unison – tulips are my favourite flowers. But oh, the despair in the lines:
‘oh, how I believed, I believed with every fibre
of my being’
and
‘I stood by like a sailor on the tempestuous sea,
awaiting the shore
which never seemed to come into sight’.
Thank you so much, my dearest Kim 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
This is absolutely gorgeous….I kept noting my favorite lines and then realized I had fully 3/4 of the poem highlighted!
“why do we forget that convictionis a circle?
It leaves no space for doubt to enter.”
and
“I stood by like a sailor on the tempestuous sea,
awaiting the shore
which never seemed to come into sight,
only a glimmer,
only flashes of pearly romance to tease,
until now— now that January is smiling.”
These strike me, after our many conversations. Yes, may January keep smiling and may the conviction come true.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Lillian 😍 so glad you enjoyed it! I am planning to read this on OLN LIVE session 💄❤️
loved the line about the wind conversing with the mulberry bush.
a really enjoyable read.
Thank you so much, Roger 😀 so glad you enjoyed it 💄❤️
Tulips blooming in snow… a great metaphor for not giving up! I really liked this line:
but there comes a time
when we learn to follow nothing else
but instinct.
And yes, the road teaches us to appreciate the journey and keep on going!
Well done!
Thank you so much, Dwight 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Luv the fact that January is smilingbin your poem..
Much❤love
Thank you so much, Gillena 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Much love back 🥂
This is wonderful! <3
❤️❤️❤️
“not every road leads directly to where we wish to go, some have detours, some come with thistle and thorn but mostly, the road teaches us to appreciate the journey we have led.”
Yes, I can relate to this – words of wisdom.
Thank you so much, Tzvi 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
A great metaphor for resilience and determination in the face of adversity. I am in love with the imagery in this poem: of tailor, sweet sunshine, scent of walnuts, wind conversing with mulberry trees and the children laughing in cobblestone streets!
Thank you so much, Mrityunjay 😀 so glad the poem and its imagery appealed to you 💄❤️
The way nature pulls at your emotions is extraordinary, wonderful, creates the tension and symbolism without mentioning it outright. There is the myriad of sometimes conflicting sentiment, yes, but also that natural sensuality in your writing
Awww gosh! That is such high praise. Thank you so much, Ain 😀 so glad you liked it 💄❤️
Why else steal fire from the gods but to keep warm at night and surfeit the belly with pleasure? Our tolerance for cold keeps us inventive and faithful. Thanks tulips blooming in snow.
Thank you so much, Brendan 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
This is so lovely, tender, and an absolute visual treat.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, Misky 😀 so glad you enjoyed reading it 💄❤️
I really enjoyed hearing your read this heartfelt poem today on the live meeting. I am so glad you found someone to connect with who loves you in return! Very beatuifully done.
Awww gosh! Thank you so much, dear Dwight 😀 so glad you liked it! 💄❤️
“why do we forget that conviction
is a circle?”
Indeed true.
Thank you so much, Kitty 😀 so glad the poem resonated with you 💄❤️
Tulips in the snow is a perfect visual. Stunning poem, Sanaa!