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Sunday 1 January 2012

The Turning

Stepping from the old year to the new
I carry with me seeds to green the view.
They're in the wool of jumper, mud of shoe.

Past and present
root and stem
fruit and leaf -
cogs in time's machinery.

The turning is a season
as eloquent as spring,
the smallest seedling from the past,
an oak in influence.

We may forget
write-off
ignore the year just gone.
It will not do the same for us.
Our footprints mark it:
its mark us.
The new start's never new,
the start's a part-continuum.

And yet the land is virginal.
Behind us:
leaves have withered;
fruit has rotted into this new seed;
there have been deaths;
and illnesses, like fungi,
have invaded healthy stock.

Big moments, these:
like redwoods in a kitchen garden.
Bark and sapwood cling to us:
new perfumes and old smells.

The pods of memory pop
and green shoots beckon
that were not there before.

Be careful with the fruit, my friend -
it bruises easily.

dVerse Poets Poetic Endings and Beginnings inspired this verse.

A VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL!

20 comments:

Claudia said...

this sums it up beautifully - fruit rotted into new seeds.. a great image.. taking the new seeds of last year's harvest and everything's possible again.. the more i think about it, the more i'm fascinated.. i raise my glass to the new seeds david and to a rich harvest!

BragonDorn said...

The pods of memory pop. That is beautiful! Happy New Year!

Tabor said...

Yes. My sentiments exactly!

jabblog said...

The world turns, the year turns and we turn with it.

Brian Miller said...

happy new year man....yeas we do carry forward those seeds whether we want to or not...we planted them so we only have ourselves to blame but each day we choose once more what we will plant in the new season...

Mary said...

Our footprints definitely are in the year before. We cannot ignore it. Hopefully we all can anticipate those green shoots.

Harish G. said...

carrying along seeds as we glide to the years ahead, such a wonderful thought, and indeed true to its core.

Anonymous said...

do like how foot prints mark time... nice write

Windsmoke. said...

Foot prints are the only things we leave behind where ever we go because we can't take them with us :-).

Intelliblog said...

I enjoyed this poem very much, Dave.
May 2012 be a wonderful year for you full of health and happiness.

Old Kitty said...

I'm holding your fruit as carefully as possible and carrying it with optimism for a fresh start into 2012!

Happy New Year!

Take care
x

Mark Kerstetter said...

Beautiful meld of old and new, Dave. It captures the peculiar feeling of this 24 hour period of the year. Yet, when I think about the so-called 'natural world', it's like this at every moment: life and death all mixed up all the time.

sunny said...

lovely poetry Mr Dave.and happy new year:)

Misterio Vida said...

ahan..you never cease to surprise... hope we shall be having the exquisite poetry from you in 2012 aslo...

Happy new year :)

haricot said...

YOur phrases are inviting me to upcoming spring. Thank you and Happy New Year.

Dave King said...

Claudia
Cheers, chink, chink, my thanks and all the best for 2012.

BragonDorn
Hi, welcome and a good new year to you. Thanks for your comment.

Tabor
Happy, happy concord! Thanks muchly.

jabblog
True, very true. A good new year to you.

Brian
I think some we overlook and some we scatter with too much gay abandon.

Mary
Let us hope so!

Harish G
Hi, good to have you commenting. Thanks for your thoughts, and a good new year to you.

wolfsrosebud
A warm welcome to the blog and many thanks for the apt comment. Happy New Year.

Windsmoke
True, my friend, very true.

Nicholas V
Very amny thanks for the kind comment and a brilliant new year to you and yours.

Old Kitty
Ah, bless you for that. Your reward will be in heaven. But for now, a good new year to you.

Mark
Hi, good to have your company and your comment. It is absolutely always thus for the natural world
Maybe this is one of those occasions when we are closer to nature than usual.

sunny
My thanks - and a great New Year to yourself.

Muhammad
I shall try. My thanks for your visit and your comment. Both very much appreciated. A great New Year to you and yours.

haricot
Great comment. My thanks - and a very happy new year to you and yours.

JeannetteLS said...

Another one that makes me smile and say, "Yup. THere he goes again." And I look forward to this coming year's poetry from you, Dave. As always.

Ygraine said...

There is a wonderful cyclical feel here that so appeals to me as a Druidess!
You have re-created Nature's perfection beautifully :)

Dave King said...

Jeanette
Thanks once more - and a very Happy new year to you and yours.

Dave King said...

Ygraine
I think that very much - that life ic cyclical. All things return Nietzsche said.

(Sorry again, for being so tardy with my replies.)