Aurora Borealis
When all hope has faded, that's when they come.
*****
Days whittle away,
Inevitably growing darker with each waning moon.
Sunsets come so early. Sunrises so late. Blink, and you've missed it.
The light has gone, and this transition exhausts me.
Radiation that once seemed so deadly
As it burned and blistered my pale skin
Cries out to me, "you will miss me soon."
The hope of summer has left, carried away on the songs of the birds that fly south for the winter.
In the months of silence and darkness that follow, it is easy to lose yourself to the unrelenting thoughts of giving into the despair.
Oh, but there is hope. Over the bay, on a distant horizon it flashes. Brilliant green, blue, and purple as rich as the fireweed in the peak of summer.
Numb to the pain in your frostbitten fingers, you watch in awe. Your half-frozen soul begins to melt as they dance, lighting up the northerly sky. And you remember why you stay.
*****
Art & Words © Lena Folkert, 2023.
About the Creator
Lena Beana
Alaskan Grown Freelance Writer 🤍 Lover of Prose
Former Deckhand & Barista 🤍 Always a Pleaser & Eggshell-Walker
Lifelong Animal Lover & Whisperer 🤍 Ever the Student & Seeker
Traveler 🤍 Dreamer 🤍 Wanderer
Forever Lost 🤍
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Day 4 of Quitting
If this is how sobriety feels, maybe it’s better to go through life a little buzzed… this, along with other hits like, I want to kill myself, I wish I was dead, and I’m going to throw myself off a bridge have been the only thoughts on rotation these past few days. I promise myself that if, in a month, I still feel like this (‘this’ meaning despondent, full of rage, and simultaneously numb) I can go back to smoking. Until mid-February though? Nicotine is off the table.
By sleepy drafts5 days ago in Longevity
Comments (9)
My favourite line is the second T. I paused to read it again. More than once. "The hope of summer has left, carried away on the songs of the birds that fly south for the winter."
I don't know how I'd manage in that environment that you described so beautifully. Your writing talents are a deep dive.
Some lovely natural words for the acrostic challenge
I once saw the northern lights dancing across the sky in South Dakota. I woke up my wife to see them at 2 a.m. She was neither impressed nor amused.
Sometimes we just have to take a step back to realise the worth of it all and we'll know why we stay. Such a beautiful poem!
Beautifully written and touching. Great job
This is great poem, there is hope for the new day . I love how you used nature with the feeling of imagery
Loving your aurora borealis poem!!! Wonderfully written!!!❤️❤️💕
I love a good nature poem! Well done.