A Kind of Insomnia

When everything else is deep
in hibernation,
I feel a kind of insomnia,
wishing I could join bear,
bat,
hedgehog
and squirrel.

Instead, I find myself
among sheeny black corvids
flying in
and out
of slate-grey clouds,
grateful for the occasional
pale blue sky.

Kim M. Russell, 15th December 2025

Image by Casey Horner on Unsplash

This Monday at the dVerse Poets Pub we are writing quadrilles, those poems of exactly 44 words, with our Canadian host, Mish, who says that in her ‘little southern nook of Ontario, winter has made itself known again’ – and it makes her want to hibernate. I’ve just returned from a visit to my daughter, and I feel the need to hibernate too!

Mish gives us definition and origin of the word she wants us to include in our quadrilles, which is ‘hibernate’ or any other form of the word highlighted in her prompt.

42 thoughts on “A Kind of Insomnia”

  3. I was just admiring the crows today do exactly what you describe! I like the way you recognize the way they embrace these duller days. I can also relate to the “occasional pale blue sky”.

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  20. Agreeing with Jennifer, the insomnia vs. hibernating contrast is quite clever. I can imagine you flying in and out of those slate-grey clouds ~~~ Wheeeeee. Happy Holidays and thank you for leaving me a comment, Kim.

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