Winter Solstice Sonnet

Posted on 2020/12/21 by Bartholomew Barker

Winter Solstice Sonnet

I’ve lived where the solstice air
freezes onto my mustache.
Where daylight is a vague glow
behind clouds of dirty slush.

I’ve felt that deep ancestral fear
that the sun has given up
and we’ll all shiver solid,
defeated by the menacing dark.

Light a candle with me tonight.
Share this bottle of wine.
Trust that our planet hasn’t spun
off into the eternal void

and tomorrow we’ll tilt toward summer
once again.

For this week’s Living Poetry prompt. Wishing you clear sunset skies so you can witness the conjunction of Jupiter and Saturn.

About Bartholomew Barker

Bartholomew Barker is one of the organizers of Living Poetry, a collection of poets and poetry lovers in the Triangle region of North Carolina. Born and raised in Ohio, studied in Chicago, he worked in Connecticut for nearly twenty years before moving to Hillsborough where he makes money as a computer programmer to fund his poetry habit.

View all posts by Bartholomew Barker →

This entry was posted in Poetry and tagged astronomy, candle, Solstice, winter. Bookmark the permalink.

10 Responses to Winter Solstice Sonnet

Lisa Tomey says:

2020/12/21 at 17:06

Well done. Cheers!

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2020/12/21 at 18:14
  
  Thank you! Happy Yule!
  
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JeanMarie says:

2020/12/21 at 17:16

I love this poem. 💛

Wish i could have a glass with you tonight but unfortunately, where i am now, I can’t even have an open flame! So i will trust you to keep the evening watch, and go to sleep with a prayer for brighter days.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2020/12/21 at 18:15
  
  Thank you very much. Hope you feel better soon. Merry Solstice!
  
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Pingback: Guest Poets – Re-blog: Bartholomew Barker – The VIXEN of VERSE
- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2020/12/21 at 18:22
  
  Thanks for reblogging!
  
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doncarroll says:

2020/12/22 at 08:00

nice piece…..especially liked the 3rd stanza.

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2020/12/22 at 18:04
  
  Thank you! Glad the sonnet’s turn worked.
  
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browniepup says:

2020/12/27 at 08:32

Very powerful imagery. Excellent. Lisa

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- Bartholomew Barker says:
  
  2020/12/27 at 10:22
  
  Thank you very much.
  
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