letters swallow themselves in seconds.
notes friends tied to the doorknob,
transparent scarlet paper,
sizzle like moth wings,
marry the air.
so much of any year is flammable,
lists of vegetables, partial poems.
orange swirling flame of days,
so little is a stone.
where there was something and suddenly isn’t,
an absence shouts, celebrates, leaves a space.
i begin again with the smallest numbers.
quick dance, shuffle of losses and leaves,
only the things i didn’t do
crackle after the blazing dies.
– Naomi Shihab Nye, “Burning the Old Year” from Words Under Words: Selected Poems
Notes:
- Poem Source: Visual Poetry.
- Photograph: Isabel with Burnt Love
- Related posts: Naomi Shihab Nye
Love this poem. So timely at the end of the year – an endless orange swirling flame of days.
Yes. She captures it beautifully, especially with that line…
[…] Thanking David Kanigan for sharing. […]
Perfect.
Reblogged this on It Is What It Is and commented:
Burning the old year …. bringing in the new!!
“…only the things I didn’t do
Crackle after the blazing dies.”
Wow! A new year, a new opportunity to be in the moment, every moment. Here’s to following our heart song….
That’s it, that’s the selection that hooked me too….
I’m with Robert Downey, Jr., :”New Year, New Me, Bulls***” but I would like to purge a few things.
Laughing, so me too.
Love this reflection on letting go and starting anew 💛
Yes, she’s amazing in stringing words together.
‘crackle’ – yes.
1 word, yet so evocative. The imagery…
David, brilliant selection – I Love this poem!
and especially the phrase “…marry the air”
It is brilliant Debi…all of it…thanks.