Sunday 31 January 2010

Good night January


Goodnight January

goodnight to the old decade
goodnight resolutions made

goodnight gloomy winter skies
goodnight soup and shortcrust pies

goodnight after-Christmas bills
goodnight slipping down the hill

goodnight forecasts always bleak
goodnight birthdays every week

goodnight school-runs in the dark
goodnight snowmen in the park

goodnight frozen garden hose
goodnight flu and stuffed-up nose

goodnight black and shades of gray
good morning to the longer days!


36 comments:

Maggie May said...

that image of them holding hands is so poignant. so...life.

Lynn said...

Love it! Definitely "fridge worthy."

Beth said...

Excellent! Although you may be somewhat optimistic as to the weather. I am welcoming February with open arms - but still wearing mittens... ;)

lisahgolden said...

I love this. I was so glad to see January end because it was a very, very long month without a paycheck for groceries and gasoline....

Sueann said...

Looking forward to embracing February as well!!! Come on spring!! We need you!! Beautiful photos!
Hugs
SueAnn

L'Adelaide said...

your daughters are so lovely ... whenever i see a picture of them, there is a spirit that comes through and speaks of such sweetness....it's so lovely, i can't think of a better word...

and as for this poem, i loved it... did you write it? isn't it nice we are in the end, the gray, the cold, the wet...well, not really but the days are definitely starting to lighten and right now, at 5;52pm, there is still just a shred of daylight left-cold gray light but light, just the same! YAY!

blackbird said...

Won't it be nice to say goodbye to all of that for another year. I'm always surprised at how much brighter everything is by the beginning of February and that's even before the pinks and reds of Valentine's Day. Ah, chocolate.

ArtSparker said...

Lovely variation.

Fantastic Forrest said...

I love Margaret Wise Brown! I used to read her books to my little ones so often, and hung two of the bright Clement Hurd illustrations on their bedroom walls.

And I love your poem. Good morning to the longer days, indeed.

Elizabeth said...

February has arrived although the snow is still piled up high. The light is returning and so is the hope for a new spring.

Tracy Golightly-Garcia said...

Bee

Lovely poem and pictures. We are getting over a snow/ice storm from this past week-end. I also look foward to Spring and the flowers.

Best
Tracy :)

Stella Jones said...

I hate to tell you, but February could be a whole lot worse! Still, be happy, we're getting nearer and nearer to March and all the lovely daffodils and snowdrops.
Blessings, Star

TBM said...

Lovely, lovely, dearest Bee! This made me think of MWB as well, FF.

Er, I'm still in the resolutions making mode. I guess I'm a bit behind? :-(

Cait O'Connor said...

I love this poem.
And the photo.

David Cranmer said...

Maggie May's thoughts are mine as well. That picture is so poignant and really compliments the poem well.

Bee said...

Your comments are making me smile. And yes, we woke to sub-zero temperatures and icy roads and more of the same predicted all week long. But also some sun, which was glorious.
February always seems like such a turning-point for me. Pink and chocolate (yes, blackbird) and tulips in the shops and snowdrops peeking out of the ground and lots more light in the afternoons. But okay, it's probably not the end of soup. Broccoli/cheese for dinner, I think.

Sarah Laurence said...

Funny verse! I hope you haven't had the flu, though. The photos capture it all.

We had zero F mornings last week, but now we're back to double digits for February. It's the extra light that makes all the difference.

Gillena Cox said...

really nice poem " GoodNight January" simple and heart felt
This is my first visit to your blog

much love
gillena

Crafty Green Poet said...

The photo at the top of the post is stunning, what a lovely sky! I'm not going to say goodbye to winter yet though, I hear more snow is forecast...

Tess Kincaid said...

I happen to love January. The hectic holiday season is over, things are layed back and frosty. It's a woolly socks month. I hate to see it go.

Kelly H-Y said...

So clever!

Fran Hill said...

I love broccoli and cheese. Send me some. Not quite ready for the salads yet.

Lucy said...

Yes, there's something about this time, Candlemas, Groundhog Day, Celtic Spring, whatever the weather still has to throw at us, we're out of the woods at last.

Elizabeth said...

Loved the poem.
One gets sort of excited by Feb. but in NY
it is a bit misleading.

I loved the bit about the birthdays.

marja-leena said...

Love the poem! and the cloudy sky and your beautiful daughters! Spring is not too far off!

SE'LAH... said...

what a sweet image. you've got beautiful daughters.

kristina said...

Brilliant! Though we are still suffering from gloomy winter skies here... K x

julochka said...

appropriate that it was also goodnight moon at the end of january.

Meri said...

Sweet sister moment. And a good way to put January to bed.

Unknown said...

Good night...or good riddens!

Not really, it's one month closer to spring, that's how I look at it.

Evening Light Writer said...

How clever you are to have written this..and I agree goodnight to all of the bleakness that January has to offer me and Good Morning to sweet, loving February.

Bee said...

Definitely an homage to Goodnight Moon . . . (and yes, I noticed that big moon at the end of January, Julochka).

Okay, the weather is still pretty bad. I admit it. But still; the light is lifting and so are my spirits.

Willow, I think it's nice that you are sticking up for January . . . but I do believe that yours is the minority opinion.

Wind Spirit said...

Great poem,Bee.
Daffodils in the garden are up 4-5 inches and noticed the sky was still light at 6 last evening. Loved that moon too, and that it was clear enough to see it! Winter can't end soon enough this year!

christina said...

amen sister!
xo
i adore this photo.

Marinela said...

I love this one, really nice :)

cynthia newberry martin said...

Love the eerie moon shot. It does make me think of something ending.