After The Solstice
It is dark,
Winter steals the daylight
and the night is long, uncertain.
Those schooled in something incomprehensible
Seem to flourish –
recklessly legislating against love
The flame flickers and dips,
Struggles to stay lit.
But love, this fabled winter world where Earth
remembers, sends her ghosts
through the gauze of time
to remind us of our hearts,
Of who we truly are –
Be a lantern in the darkness
Everywhere, everywhere, there is
tiny hope
Daring to be found,
Written in the cracks
Glittering in the gutters
Aflame in the eyes that smile from behind a mask –
Solstice is past, the light is creeping back
Regular readers of the Poetry Advent Calendar may remember the fantastic Khadija Rouf from the 2019 edition, and her wonderful haiku that perfectly hymned the dark days after the 2019 General Election. Khadj is one of those poets, and one of those friends, who excels in the dark days, and always knows the exact combination of words to make them brighter, and so I’m privileged to welcome her back to the “institution” (her words!) that is the Advent Calendar for 2021, to bring some light to these still dark days.
Khadj can always put these things better than I can, so I’ll pass you over to her…
“This was written early this morning, with a foggy brain.
It’s been such a long time of difficulty, and everyone is so fatigued. It can be hard to hold hope. But hope is a radical act, and glimmers of it are everywhere.
There have been so many small and large acts of love during this pandemic.
Love, and the hope it brings, are antidotes to fear.
So keep that flame alight, no matter how small. Tiny flames together, can shine far.“
Those sentiments are essential, I would argue, and I’m holding onto them tonight. Last night, my extended family cancelled our Christmas celebrations, meaning I won’t see my Aunt, Uncle and cousins for a second year running, and of my family who were coming to ours for Christmas, individuals are dropping out with every passing PCR test. I should probably go for one myself, although it will almost certainly rule out seeing my Mum, Dad and brothers on Boxing Day. It’s truly rubbish. Christmas seems to be receding like a disappointing night of snow as soon as the sun comes up. And on top of that Liverpool are losing, although as I type Diogo Jota’s just pulled a goal back, so there’s room for a radical act or two at Anfield just yet.
I don’t want to sound glib – I know our Guest Poet today is a Reds fan too, so I’m sure she won’t mind – because tonight’s poem is honestly beautiful, and a timely and vital reminder, when we need it most, of the need for light, and love, and hope. Because I don’t know whow we would have got through these years without it and I’m grateful to everyone that’s shared theirs with me, most recently the inspirational Khadija. Once again, thank you all.
If you want to share some light, a reminder that tomorrow evening I’ll be reading my favourite poems from this year’s Advent Calendar live on Facebook – it’ll be sort of like a Jackanory Christmas Special, but with more alcohol. I would love it if you’d tune in, wherever you are in the world.
Another reminder that if you’ve found joy, or hope, or solace, or solidarity in the Advent Calendar these last three weeks, you can pay it back/forward by contributing to the fundrasier for Ronald McDonald House Charities UK. The JustGiving page explains more about their work, but let me say that my family would’ve been broken without them this year, and any support you can give will be gratefully received by them, and by my family, and by thousands of other families who they will be looking after this Christmas. If you can, please do.
Once again, I’m using Khadj’s words on this blog to prompt a change of thinking. The darkness is retreating like that aforementioned disappointing snow, and the Kanneh-Mason version of ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ has transposed into their take on ‘Redemption Song’ since I’ve started this installment of the blog, via a couple of YouTube adverts. So let’s go for it.
Won’t you help to sing? Three days to go…
Owen x
The Poetry Advent Calendar 