Welcome, February!

I never thought I would say this so early into the new year, but I am sooo ready for warmer weather (aka Spring). I usually just soldier through this time of year but as I get older, winters just feel tougher on the body. Having said that, lets welcome the month of February. As usual, poetry will express what my thoughts cannot when speaking of the beauty of nature. Below is a brief explanation on the significance of the month of February, and then let us allow the poet to do their work. 

People often associate February with love, romance, and the excitement of spring. Beyond its usual connections, it holds profound spiritual significance that resonates across various traditions and beliefs. 

February stands out in numerous ways. February, the briefest month of the year, often brings chilly temperatures in the Northern Hemisphere, yet it symbolizes a period of change. As winter slowly transitions into spring, February encourages us to contemplate our inner selves and the bonds we cultivate with those around us.

February derives its name from the ancient Roman festival of Februa, a month devoted to the theme of purification. The theme of cleansing and renewal shines brightly throughout the month. February is a month where various cultures come together to honor love and affection, as well as purification, thus infusing the month with deep spiritual significance.

Winter into Spring 

The trees, along their bare limbs, contemplate green.

A flicker, rising, flashes rust and white before vanishing stillness, and raked leaves crumble imperceptibly to dirt.

On all sides life opens and closes around you like a mouth. Will you pretend you are not caught between its teeth?

The kestrel in its swift dive and the mouse below, the first green shoots that will not wait for spring, are a language constantly forming.

Quiet your pride and listen. There—beneath the rainfall and the ravens calling you can hear it—the great tongue constantly enunciating something that rings through the world.

— From “Blessing The Bread” Meditations by Lyn Ungar

Earth Song by Langston Hughes

Its an earth song—and I’ve been waiting long for an earth song.

It’s a Spring song! I’ve been waiting for a  spring song:

Strong as the bursting of young buds,

Strong as the shoots of a new plant,

Strong as the coming of the first child from its mother’s womb—

An earth song! 

A body song!

A spring song!

And I’ve been waiting long for an earth song.

The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman

We’ve braved the belly of the beast.
We’ve learned that quiet isn’t always peace, 
and the norms and notions of what “just is.” 
It’s always justice. And yet the dawn is ours before we knew it.
Somehow, we do it. 
Somehow, we’ve weathered and witnessed
A nation that isn’t broken but simply unfinished.