Further In

(x = space)

x

x

Further In

x

It’s a day that should own

A fireplace

The snow will be falling sometime

Outside is in the twenties

And the teens

Inside there could be fuel

A sofa or a chair

An ottoman

Coasters

Light snow first

x

Something of a storm later on

The forecasters are not sure

How much

It will finally settle on the coast

And move up

New York, Boston,

Maine and then on out

To sea

x

Maybe to an island,

Breathe on toward another shore

That I could name

An island of my mothers

I have not been blessed

To see

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Patrick Hendry on Unsplash

x

People Need

(x = space)

x

x

People Need

(we need)

x

Work

And salvation

Food and drink

Both safe

And a revival now and then

Safety itself

And companionship

Light in darkness

Not blinding

Not enigma

Shows the way

Only some direction needed

x

A place to go to sleep

Maybe with others close by

To wake up in a medium

Of security

Here, we call it democracy,

x

Which begs the first

And final matter

That is freedom

That we paid a paradise

To own

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Matthew T Rader on Unsplash

Plano, TX, USA

A water drinking fountain with water flowing from it | Check out my blog: matthewtrader.com/unsplash

x

Sermons on Leaves

(x = space)

x

x

Sermons on Leaves

x

One bird makes a small song

Unless a condor

Or a million of its own,

Whatever kind

x

I’m not thinking of Hitchcock

But of Francis

Who preached to birds

Because humans wouldn’t listen

x

In response,

A little bit invested

From each one

Raises the songs of saints,

Reinvesting into land

Then

Traversing through the sky

And now orbiting

x

A song to welcome

Visitors,

Aliens or angels,

To Earth

x

A hybrid song

Is and shows

The way

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Paul Teysen on Unsplash

Nachtegalenhof, Antwerpen, België

x

The Winter’s Hermit

(x = space)

x

x

The Winter’s Hermit

x

Sigh,

In a hole I live

It’s not a riddle

Not a mortal mystery

x

Around me

It is white and brown and gray,

Yellow where the animals

Show weakness

I am one of them

x

There is no cheer in

What I do,

As I intend there

Shouldn’t be

I wake up in prayer

And close the day

With it

x

And inside darkness

I might sleep

Or listen for the rustling

Of other animals

The Holy Spirit

Passing by

x

Or an ancient demon

Haunting the loss of

Following and home

An age ago

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Wolfgang Hasselmann on Unsplash

x

Zen

(x = space)

x

x

Zen

x

The lotus teaches

To be calm and whole

x

Bright color in

An otherwise dark pond,

Soft pointing toward

Heaven in many ways

(there is the root below)

x

Directions are not

Lost, even though

Not all become traditions

x

One point for someone

Might lead to

Singular adventure

And faith from that

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Umur Batur Kocak on Unsplash

x

Look Out

(x = space)

x

x

Look Out

x

Do I write

For affirmation?

I don’t think so

That wouldn’t work out

There would never

Be enough,

Wrong category

x

I think I write

To say I’m here

(I think that’s

self-affirming)

More so, is to call

Anyone out there?

And there you are

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Pascal Debrunner on Unsplash

The Rise of Orion

x

Weather Permitting

(x = space)

x

x

Weather Permitting

(in pandemic time)

x

The texts say

I have a doctor’s appointment

Tomorrow

A fedora of adventure,

Anymore

I’ll go,

If the car is working well

Enough (been turning

rough, lately)

x

And should there be snow

Or rain or ice,

I’ll go as carefully as I can

If the street is clear enough

And the car isn’t

Covered over

Too much

x

You see, the second

Winter skyfall

Of the season is

Predicted later today

Tonight

Into the morning hours

x

Say I get there

I’ll need marching orders

For masking, distancing

Simply to go inside

x

Then there’s the reason

Hopefully, I’ll have

A list

I’m hoping, really,

That we’re meeting

Over vaccines

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Jason Jarrach on Unsplash

x

Wolf Gang

(x = space)

x

x

Wolf Gang

(winter song)

x

Up and down

The streets at night

Back and forth

Across the city

We go for what we want

We don’t care about

The human race

Except as a resource

For the things

We need

x

It’s winter time,

Our favorite time

We take what we need

You could wish

For a gang as this

Keep wishing

x

We owe no one anything

We take what

Evolution dictates

Our strength

Is a number, only

Each of us

Would rather be alone

As our howl sings

At the break of day

x

We are wolves

We are alone

We haunt

The human mind

We break apart

To make each one

A scoundrel of the day

Then we sleep

We sleep long hours

Then when

The weakling day is done

We wake up to

The power of night

And

x

And none of this

Is true

We are families

And our power’s for

Our children

And the pack

x

We mate for life

We do not wander

Unless the food is far away

You might fear us

We need our teeth and jowls

And a howl that sings

We know you’re there

We sing

To each other

x

What we want

Is life together

You ruin all our seasons

In the land

Sometimes

When you can’t hear,

We also cry to Earth

To punish you

And save us

x

C L Couch

x

x

This is a response to a prompt: https://wyrdwordsandeffigies.wordpress.com/2021/01/17/write-yourself-awake-wyrd-creative-writing-prompts/.  Katie writes fantastically about winter and folklore, self-awareness and the growth of self.  The prompt is for the season, and there are many good cues there from which to choose.  An opportunity to express (and thus enhance) creative health in winter.

https://wyrdwordsandeffigies.wordpress.com/

x

Photo by Chris Henry on Unsplash

Canada

Please follow me on Instagram! @chrishenry

x

Act 4

(x = space)

x

x

Act 4

x

Should we meet again

All the ragged feelings will return

Time and distance

Take their roll

I think we’ll recognize each other

I keep thinking of a rainy day,

Though most likely

It will be a normal, gray-lit day

Though loyalty

In a sky of blue

Would help

x

C L Couch

x

x

Photo by Gerrie van der Walt on Unsplash

Seelisberg, Switzerland

x