seizing day night moon stars cloud

with the arrival of frosts and rains
a wintry light
­                       smears the sky

I crunch leaves defiantly underfoot
and breathe in pungent decay

in daring to live           I’m learning to die

leafless oaks mock me, feigning death,
and haws
­                       hang
heavy
­         drops
­                 the colour of blood

all the while I tramp through autumn mud
seizing day night moon stars cloud

singing out LOUD

on the journey towards my blazing sunset

Kim M. Russell, 24th November 2018

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My poem for Imaginary Garden with Real Toads Weekend Mini Challenge: And the days are not full enough

I am hosting over at the Imaginary Garden this weekend with a prompt inspired by a little book of 101 Poems That Could Save Your Life, subtitled ‘an anthology of emotional first aid’. I am focusing specifically on a section entitled ‘Just Do It’, about seizing the day and getting motivated. Whether we are tigers who roar, bursting the night and shaking the stars, or slow starters watching the clock and counting days, we poets make our marks on life – which is why we are writing about just doing it and leaving our imprints in poetry. We can keep it short and sweet or within a maximum of four stanzas.

52 thoughts on “seizing day night moon stars cloud”

  4. How I love “in daring to live / I’m learning to die”. Yes, that is it exactly. They say we die as we have lived…….so I long for peacefulness, and the beauty of nature in my eyes at the end. I love the strong impact of your closing stanza. Loved this poem!!!!!!!!

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  5. “I crunch leaves defiantly underfoot and breathe in pungent decay/in daring to live I’m learning to die” .. sigh.. this is incredibly rich with the desire to move on and live!! 😍😍😍

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  11. A curious challenge Kim, not quite seize the day (that’s a tad more testosteroney) but inhabit the moment, which is embodied and placed and facing the direction one chooses. I agree with Rajani on that line and singing into the sunset is the poet’s way to go. Thanks for all of it!

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  16. A second comment on this wonderful poem. I was always taught from an early age, to live in the moment, to be in the moment. Which is why I love real classic haiku so much – it is about being in the moment. I love that you will be blazing until sunset. Such a wonderful line. Outshine the setting sun!

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  21. I like the whole idea of learning how to live is learning how to die. At the end of the day, it is glorious to witness a colorful sunset – it is something to admire as is a life well lived.

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