Aware
A Poem for the Micro-Season— Butterburs Bud
I wish to be aware of the slightest gain
growing in my mind,
preparing for the day,
when in the morning,
it expands with the rising of the sun,
as happens with a child,
the shoes,
worn only yesterday,
no longer fit.
Or when a bud,
long-awaited,
breaks the frozen ground.
*************************
Thank you for reading my words.
We have reached the sixth and final season of winter, The Season of Greater Cold 大寒 (daikan) in the traditional Japanese calendar. The kanji characters for this season are simple: 大 (dai), which represents big, and 寒(kan), which indicates cold temperature.
Daikan’s three micro-seasons are:
January 20–24 Butterburs Bud 款冬華 (fuki no hana saku)
January 25–29 Ice Thickens on Streams 水沢腹堅 (sawamizu kōri tsumeru)
January 30–February 3 Hens Start Laying Eggs 鶏始乳 (niwatori hajimete toya ni tsuku)
On February 4, the first of the six seasons of Spring surrounding the Spring Equinox and their micro-seasons begin. Spring is just around the corner for those of us who live in the Northern Hemisphere.
You can find more of my seasonal writing journey in my list Micro-Season Poem Cycle with a Medium account. These seventy-two poems (with two exceptions) were written between October 2023 and October 2024 during the season they take their inspiration from. They were originally published in Scribe by Thomas Gaudex.
I dedicate this poem to Dylan, whose shoes no longer fit one morning.
About the Creator
Natalie Wilkinson
Writing. Woven and Printed Textile Design. Architectural Drafting. Learning Japanese. Gardening. Not necessarily in that order.
IG: @maisonette _textiles
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More stories from Natalie Wilkinson and writers in Poets and other communities.
Thoughts on Vocal and the way the world is
"Death cannot stop true love, only delay it." – Wesley in The Princess Bride. I decided to come back to Vocal on a very cold and dark night at the end of December. I had been, and still am, convalescing from a horrible staph infection that had gone misdiagnosed for months. This, paired with the increasing challenges of being healthy, making the best choices for my co-parented child, being a wife, and being a director at a new job, was a lot to manage.
By Jazzy 2 days ago in Confessions
Comments (2)
i was unaware of the Japanese Winter seasons. Thank you for sharing these with your wonderful words
You just have this astonishing ability to leave a reader pondering on a lot in only a few carefully chosen words. I love the comparison of Dylan's inspiration. I assume your son or someone else suitably close? Either way, beautiful work.